91黑料网

>

Federal R&D Funding Guidance

Important Updates

Updated 06/02/2025, 3:15 p.m.

  • As of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the federal government has shut down due to a lapse in appropriations.

    Below are links to several federal agencies with their shutdown preparedness documents:

    • (PDF)
    • (PDF)
    • (PDF)

Previous Updates:

  • NSF is temporarily pausing implementation of the 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. New NSF awards 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 upon a court decision permitting application of the policy.
  • Do not submit an appeal if an NSF notice states that an award termination is not eligible for appeal. The NSF is not considering appeals for awards the agency has deemed ineligible. If you have questions, please contact Sponsored Programs Administration.
    SPA telephone: (615) 322-2631
    SPA email: spa@vanderbilt.edu
  • The NIH has temporarily disabled NCE functionality in eRA Commons. NIH staff plan to review and assess all NCE requests to confirm that the activities proposed during the extension align with NIH mission and agency priorities. Requests for activities that do not align with the NIH mission and agency priorities will not be approved.听 Please contact听spa@91黑料网.edu with any questions or concerns.
  • On March 14, a federal appeals court stayed a nationwide injunction on two presidential executive orders targeting DEI initiatives, allowing the government to resume enforcement while legal challenges continue.
  • On March 5, 2025, a district court judge preventing the NIH from implementing, applying, or enforcing the Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates, which was issued on听 . The injunction applies nationwide and will remain in effect until further order from the court. If you are submitting a proposal to NIH, please continue using our previously approved indirect cost rate.
  • On Feb. 26, 2025, a new executive order was issued, calling for all active federally funded grants and contracts to be re-reviewed by funding agencies and either terminated or renegotiated. .

We will continue to closely monitor the federal funding landscape as it develops and will share updates if there are any changes to NIH or VU guidance on this topic.


The is collaborating with representatives from our deans鈥� offices and related VC areas through the Federal Agency Sponsored R&D Working Group. We will continue to compile and post updates as more information becomes available.听 Please contact spa@vanderbilt.edufor further assistance on sponsored projects.

With the support of the Provost, the entirety of remains fully dedicated to advancing our faculty鈥檚 pathbreaking research and innovation.听 For general questions or concerns, please contact us atovpri@vanderbilt.edu.

 

 

Background

  • Presidential Executive Orders (EOs) are still in effect.听 View an , courtesy of the .
  • The Office of Management and Budget Memorandum (OMB) M-25-13 dated Jan. 27, 2025, was rescinded with another memo on Jan. 29, 2025. While you might have seen this memo and/or the memo rescinding it referenced in media and agency communications, it remains to be seen how the rescinded memo will change the actions federal funding agencies are required to take.
  • On Jan. 31, 2025, a Federal District Court in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that has been interpreted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as applying to all award recipients such that federal agencies cannot pause or freeze funding based on OMB memo M-25-13 and/or EOs. Agencies have been notified of the TRO and its scope according to the DOJ. View . Note that the restraining order is temporary, and matters may shift again in the future.
  • Review messages from 91黑料网 leadership including:

View a continuously updated, , courtesy of the , the national authority on federal policies and regulations affecting U.S. research institutions.

Key Takeaways for PIs

听

Proposals

  • Continue to submit proposals according to published deadlines as long as federal agencies鈥� submission systems are operational and federal funding opportunities are open.
  • Opportunities may be revised or postponed. Check for updates with the relevant federal funding agency or sponsor and sign up for automatic alerts as available.
  • Proposal review timelines may be extended while federal agencies navigate pauses on communications and/or federal funding in specific areas.
  • Consider opportunities from new sponsors. Reach out to Research Development and Support (RDS) at rds@vanderbilt.edu听for help finding new funding opportunities, developing competitive proposals, and expanding sponsorship of your research.

听

Awards

  • Continue to carry out federally funded research activities as per the terms of existing grants and contracts unless you receive formal instructions otherwise from the relevant federal funding agency, prime entity, or Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA).
    • Note that deliverables like progress reports and technical reports should be submitted as scheduled.听 Overdue deliverables may jeopardize future funding.
  • Before you submit any new expenses against federal grants, please check with your relevant dean鈥檚 office for further guidance, as deans鈥� offices have tailored approaches for their individual schools and colleges.
  • Expect limited or delayed communication from program managers and other federal funding agency personnel, including delayed continuation awards and prior approvals.
  • If you are contacted directly by a federal agency, prime entity or sub-awardee about a federally funded grant or contract, please share that information with Sponsored Programs Administration at听spa@vanderbilt.edufor further guidance (see Guidance on Stop Work Orders below if needed).
    • Do not respond to emails from a federal agency, prime entity, or sub-awardee without receiving guidance from SPA first.
    • If you are the prime on an award, do not contact sub-awardees about a grant or contract without receiving guidance from SPA first.
  • If SPA is contacted directly by a federal agency, prime entity or sub-awardee about a federally funded grant or contract, we will reach out to the relevant PI, grants manager, and associate dean immediately (see also Guidance on Stop Work Orders below).

听

Guidance on Stop Work Orders

In the current federally funded R&D landscape, there is a heightened probability that you, as a faculty member and PI on a federally funded award, may receive a stop work order from a sponsor. 听We understand that is a difficult situation and we are here to support you in collaboration with the deans and other Provost and VC areas.

Here are the key steps for addressing a stop work order from a sponsor:

  1. If the stop work order comes to Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) directly, SPA will notify you as the PI.听If the stop work order comes to you directly from the sponsor:
    1. Inform Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) at听spa@vanderbilt.edu immediately. Please copy your unit鈥檚 grants manager on this communication.
    2. If the sponsor asks for confirmation of receipt or other actions, please do not sign or submit anything.听 Instead, contact SPA at听spa@vanderbilt.edu听and they will provide the response to the sponsor.
  2. After receiving notice of the stop work order from SPA or the sponsor,听you should:
    1. Stop all work on the project as of the date listed in the notification.听听However, please be sure to save all work performed (e.g., data, analysis results, experimental set-up, etc.) up until the date of the stop work order in such a manner that you can easily resume work at a later point.听 Please reach out to OVPRI at ovpri@vanderbilt.edu for further guidance on how to comply with the stop work order without losing valuable progress that鈥檚 been made to date (e.g., recruited study subjects, prototypes, live cultures, datasets, etc.); we will coordinate with your dean鈥檚 office to provide tailored guidance.
    2. Stop making any charges to the federal sponsor; do not purchase any supplies, equipment, or other items on the project.听 No travel should occur on the project.
    3. Work with your grants manager to move personnel to other activities/projects that they can work on during this time.听 Please consult with your school or college about any graduate or undergraduate students or postdoctoral fellows that you have on the project to determine the best way to support those trainees using non-federal funds.听
    4. Prioritize financial support for your team, especially students. Reach out to your dean and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) at听ovpri@vanderbilt.edu听if needed to manage support.听
    5. Communicate with SPA about any other requests or instructions you receive from the sponsor.听 SPA will work with you to frame the appropriate response.听SPA will also work with you to notify and provide guidance on next steps to any sub-awardees listed on the project.

During a period of work stoppage, consider developing a new proposal or seeking out a new sponsor. Reach out to Research Development and Support (RDS) at听rds@vanderbilt.edu听for help finding new funding opportunities, developing competitive proposals, and expanding sponsorship of your research through private entities such as foundations, as well as state and local government.

听

Federal Agency Sponsored R&D Working Group

Members:

  • Jana Blick, Senior Director of Research Finance, 91黑料网 Finance
  • Andre Christie-Mizell, Dean of the Graduate School, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and Centennial Professor of Sociology
  • Ellen Goldring, Patricia and Rodes Hart Chair, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy, Vice Dean, Peabody College
  • Jane Hirtle, Assistant Provost for Research Strategy, Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
  • John McLean, Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Research, Stevenson Professor in Chemistry, College of Arts and Science
  • Jean Mercer, Senior Assistant Provost for Sponsored Programs Administration and Compliance, Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
  • Greta Messer, Associate General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
  • Mariann Piano, Senior Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing
  • Padma Raghavan, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation and Chief Research Officer, Senior Advisor to the Chancellor, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science
  • Dalana Robertson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Controller
  • Chuck Sanders, Vice Dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair in Cardiovascular Research
  • Nilanjan Sarkar, Vice Dean of the School of Engineering, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, David K. Wilson Chair, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
  • Michelle Tellock, Deputy General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
  • Richard Willis, Senior Associate Dean for the Faculty, Associate Provost for Research and Innovation, Anne Marie and Thomas B. Walker, Jr., Professor of Accounting, Owen Graduate School of Management

Project management by Vanessa Allwardt, Senior Manager for Executive & Strategic Research Projects, Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation

听