Federal Funding Updates 2025
Message Regarding the Government Shutdown – 2025
September 30, 2025
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is monitoring the government shutdown on October 1, 2025, and its impact on the Kean University research community. In a departure from previous practice, the White House will not be maintaining a centralized repository of Agency Contingency Plans. Instead, each agency has been directed to communicate independently. Agency-by-agency guidance on operations during the shutdown can be found on individual agency websites.
Although the federal agencies have yet to release official guidance on what to expect concerning agency operations, the Council on Government Relations (COGR) has provided guidance for institutions of higher education to prepare proactively for a shutdown.
Please review the following information regarding the potential impacts to federal awards and the consequences for our work. This is based on past shutdown experience and is subject to change as federal agencies issue guidance specific to this potential shutdown:
- Proposal preparation systems are expected to remain online during the shutdown. Absent specific notice to the contrary, those planning grant application submissions should proceed in anticipation of current due dates being in force. However, it is expected that proposals will not be processed by agencies until normal operations resume. Watch for announcements from agencies for extensions of deadline dates, but these may not be issued until after the shutdown.
- Websites that support submission of grant applications and progress reports, and other grant management functions - Grants.gov and Research.gov - will continue to operate. However, we are unsure if help desk systems will be available.
- Peer review/study sections are not expected to occur, which may impact proposals awaiting review. If you are currently scheduled for a panel review, please stay tuned for agency guidance.
- Drawing cash and payments: During recent shutdowns, draws and payments were able to continue when systems did not require federal personnel intervention. Process changes made to comply with executive orders requiring agency review and approval of award-level details within each payment request will likely stall payments until federal personnel return to work.
- Continue working on federal awards: In general, researchers may continue working on grants that have been awarded unless the project requires significant involvement of federal employees. Currently funded grant activities should continue. For those researchers performing research under contracts rather than grants, work should continue until a specific “stop work order” is received from the funding agency.
- Federal personnel WILL NOT be available. While each agency may articulate emergency contact procedures, as a rule, do not expect federal personnel to be available.
- New awards currently being processed by a federal agency, but not issued before October 1st, will be delayed.
- Issuance of non-competing renewals, and no-cost extensions that require action by agency staff will not occur. Requests for no-cost extensions can be submitted in anticipation of action when staff return.
- Required annual and final reports must be completed and submitted before the deadline. Expect that review or approvals will be delayed.
Investigators may receive instructions or correspondence from their contracting or program officers. If you receive such information, please contact Sherrie Calish at sherrie.calish@kean.edu or Mirela Boariu at mirela.boariu@kean.edu immediately. If you are interested in reviewing additional information, the COGR Website “Considerations for a Federal Government Shutdown” is available and will be updated as more information is released.
Federal Funding Updates 2025
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is actively tracking updates from the federal government, including Executive Orders, communications, and guidance from federal agencies and organizations such as the American Council on Education (ACE), the Council on Government Relations (COGR), and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will inform the University community of any changes through this webpage, that may impact research, training programs, federal contracts, and notices of funding opportunities. This webpage will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
For specific information on NSF, NIH, DOD, DOE, and other funding agencies, please see the Important Funding Agency Updates page.
Recommendations For Researchers
- Regularly monitor your obligated budget balances to prevent deficits while awaiting future funding obligations.
- Carefully review your grant agreement terms, especially those concerning funding availability.
- Stay up to date with submission deadlines, as they may change (including deadlines for progress reports and other requirements).
- Prioritize submitting any overdue reports or deliverables. To avoid delays, remain diligent with submission deadlines, milestones, and deliverables.
- Keep an eye on policy announcements from the federal agency managing your grant for updates on funding or compliance requirements.
- Be aware that disruptions may affect your project even if you are a sub-awardee under a prime awardee receiving federal funds (e.g., receiving funds through New Jersey’s state funding portal).
- Unless you receive specific instructions to halt activity, continue your research, scholarship, and grant-related work in accordance with your award terms.
Announcements and Important Updates
TRP - Remessaging Strategies - Guidance for an Evolving Political Landscape (FINAL)
COGR 2025 Administration Transition Information & Resources - Frequently Updated
Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions - Frequently Updated
August 2025 News
Presidential Actions - Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
July 2025 News
PRWORA Litigation Update - Government Agrees to Short Pause
Updated Implementation Guidance of NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards for Active Projects
NIH will reinstate 900 grants in response to court order | Science | AAAS
June 2025 News
Update – Court Decision Issued - Indirect Cost Policy for Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs)
Effective Date: June 23, 2025
On June 20, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, in No. 1:25-cv-11231-IT, vacated NSF’s 15% Indirect Cost Rate policy (NSF 25-034). In compliance with the court’s decision, NSF will not implement the policy at this time.
For more information: No. 1:25-cv-11231-IT
Judge Sides With Universities, Blocking NSF’s 15% Indirect Cost Cap
Extended Deferred Implementation of Indirect Cost Policy for Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs)
Effective Date: June 18, 2025
Applies to: All new awards and associated subawards to IHEs.
This notice is being issued to all NSF proposers and recipient organizations, Principal Investigators, and Authorized Officials for awareness. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is extending its previously issued temporary pause in implementation of NSF Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate (NSF 25-034) until the District Court for the District of Massachusetts issues a decision, in accordance with a voluntary stay filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Association of American Universities, et al. v. National Science Foundation, et al., No. 25-cv-11231. This policy applies to all new awards and associated subawards to IHEs. New NSF awards and associated subawards issued during this pause will not implement NSF 25-034 but will include a term applying NSF 25-034 for the entirety of the award if there is a court decision permitting application of the policy.
NSF reserves the right to modify, rescind, or fully implement NSF 25-034 to the entirety of awards and subawards issued to IHEs on or after May 5, 2025 in accordance with applicable legal rulings and administrative procedures.
May 2025 News
Effective Date May 20, 2025 - Deferred Implementation of Indirect Cost Policy for Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs): Applies to all new awards and associated subawards to IHEs. This notice is being issued to all NSF proposers and recipient organizations, Principal Investigators, and Authorized Officials for awareness. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is temporarily pausing implementation of NSF Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate (NSF 25-034) through June 13, when a hearing is scheduled to occur in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Association of American Universities, et al. v. National Science Foundation, et al., No. 25-cv-11231. This policy applies to all new awards and associated subawards to IHEs. New NSF awards and associated subawards issued during this pause will not implement NSF 25-034 but will include a term applying NSF 25-034 for the entirety of the award if there is a court decision permitting application of the policy. NSF reserves the right to modify, rescind, or fully implement NSF 25-034 to the entirety of awards and subawards issued to IHEs on or after May 5, 2025 in accordance with applicable legal rulings and administrative procedures.
May 16, 2025: Notice of Early Expiration of Notices of Funding Opportunities Related to the Simplified Review Framework for NIH Research Grant Applications: NIH R16 SuRE (PAR-24-144) and SuRE-First (PAR-24-145) May 28 Deadline Cancelled along with other NIH opportunities.
Changes to Indirect Cost Rate at NSF (as of 5/2/25 - paused as of 5/20/25. See above and note on this link): https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/indirect-cost-rate
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/arts/national-endowment-for-the-arts-resignations.html
The National Endowment for the Arts Begins Terminating Grants - The New York Times
National Endowment for the Arts cuts off funding, pushes for staff resignations
April 2025 News
NIH blocks researchers in China, Russia and other countries from multiple databases
NSF slashes prestigious PhD fellowship awards by half
NSF, NIH Slash Support for Early-Career Scientists
Higher Education Association Lawsuits Challenge NIH and DOE Cuts to F&A Reimbursement
DOE Puts 15% Cap on Universities’ Indirect Research Costs
National Organizations Announce Joint Effort to Develop a New Indirect Costs Funding Model
- Organizations representing America’s academic, medical, and independent research institutions, along with other relevant experts, have come together to spur the development of a more efficient and transparent model for funding indirect costs on federal research grants
DOGE takes over key website that handles distribution of $500bn in federal grants | The Independent
HS to Restore States’ Public Health Funds to Comply With Order
States sue Trump administration over NIH grant termination
Steep budget cuts and layoffs coming to NSF
Agriculture Department cancels $3 billion grant program for climate-friendly crops
NIH said to have halted awarding of new grants to top universities
Federal Grants Website Gets DOGE’d
NSF halts grant awards while staff do second review
Trump signs order to revamp college accreditation process - The Hill
Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones
March 2025 News
NIH Announcement on Peer Review Centralization – 3/6/2025
HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again
Entire staff at federal agency that funds libraries and museums put on leave
February 2025 News
NIH Scraps Program to Diversify the Biomedical Workforce, a Longtime Goal of Science
NIH 15% Cap on Indirect Cost Reimbursement - Information & Resources
22 states sue to block Trump cuts to NIH research payments
Trump administration ordered to restore removed CDC and FDA websites
Education Department axes over $600M in grants training teachers on 'divisive ideologies'
Department of Education orders universities to eliminate DEI programs within two weeks
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies
Department of Education contract cuts spur ‘chaos and confusion’
January 2025 News
Federal Student Aid Guidance Related to Temporary Pause of Federal Financial Assistance Programs
AAU OMB Memo Pausing American Scientific Advancement
DOE Memorandum for All DOE Funding Agreements or Awards
U.S. Department of Education Takes Action to Eliminate DEI
Updates on National Endowment for the Arts FY 2026 Grant Opportunities
Mass. Judge Blocks NIH Grant Cuts, Calls Them 'Discrimination'
Contact Us
If you receive information not included on this page from a funding agency regarding your project's funding, please reach out to the Post-Award team at postaward@kean.edu.