01/31/2025
By Anne Maglia
Dear Colleagues,
Recent and emerging developments in federal funding for higher education are raising concerns both on campus and nationally. Several organizations have objected to these actions, including the APLU and members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.
As mentioned in Monday’s message, we are closely monitoring these developments. The initial OMB notice released on Monday on “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs” was rescinded. Litigation concerning this executive order remains pending in several federal courts, and a stay in the order is currently in effect.
Some agencies, such as the Department of Justice (DOJ), have notified grant recipients that funds cannot be drawn down until further notice. However, we do not currently have directives to halt specific activities supported by DOJ funding.
One of the university’s most consistent partners, the National Science Foundation, issued a statement on Jan. 29, explaining that it is conducting a review of its projects and programs to ensure compliance, and aims to communicate with PIs regarding any updates. As of today, PIs on NSF projects and all others should continue their research as usual until we hear directly from the funding agency.
We expect additional guidance from other federal agencies and will provide further periodic updates as the situation develops. If PIs or staff receive communications about existing federal awards, please share those with OSPproposals@uml.edu so that we can provide you with clarity and guidance. Due to the volume of requests and the need to provide support to those PIs most directly impacted by stop-work orders, our office may be unable to respond immediately to inquiries concerning specific awards.
Considering these developments, PIs are advised to be conservative about large expenditures but should otherwise continue activities necessary to meet contractual obligations until any of those obligations are modified by the funder.
In the weeks ahead, we will host in-person and hybrid meetings with an opportunity for you to ask questions about the impact of these actions and advisories on campus research. Please also continue to review the updates posted on the Office of Sponsored Programs website.
We are aware of the concerns of many researchers are experiencing as a result of this evolving situation and will do our best to mitigate the impacts and keep our community informed.
Sincerely,
Anne Maglia
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation