Harpur College Dean’s Office is closely monitoring updates from federal agency partners regarding policy changes and evaluating their potential impact on federally sponsored projects during this period of transition. Important updates for the research community will be shared here as they become available.
Proposals & Awards
Important Note for Researchers:
Before incorporating new federal directives or changing policy into your proposals or current awards please consult your assigned Grant and Contract Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to ensure the proper course of action.
Federal sponsor proposal review timelines may be extended due to pauses on federal funding. It is recommended to reconfirm deadlines and check for any changes to the proposal requirements or guidelines. Our understanding is that the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will continue to submit to federal agency submission systems as they are available.
Work on existing awards may require changes to comply with recent executive orders. Please contact the Office of Grants Management with specific questions.
Resources
- COGR: Administration Transition Information & Resources
- Department/Agency Directives/Memoranda
- Relevant Articles
- White House: Presidential Actions and Executive Orders
Guidance from specific agencies
Department of Health and Human Services
- There will be a delay in communications due to an immediate pause on issuing documents and public communications.
- This pause is expected to be temporary to allow the president’s appointees to have the opportunity to review and approve any regulations, guidance documents and other public documents
- This mandate was issued directly through the HHS in a Jan. 21 memo, and thus impacts the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and all other HHS divisions.
- Travel is immediately suspended for federal health agency personnel and for travel related to already awarded research grants.
National Science Foundation
NSF cancels grant reviews to comply with Trump EOs
- Scheduled review panels for National Science Foundation grant applications are on pause until Feb. 1.
NASA
NASA issued a memo on Jan. 23 stating the following as it relates to grants and contracts:
- NASA Contractors and Grantees immediately shall cease and desist all DEIA activities required of their contracts or grants. In accordance with FAR 52.242-15, Stop Work clause, a stop work order may have been issued to stop all or any part of the DEIA related activity. Additionally, FAR 52.249, Terminations clause modifications may also be issued to implement this change. This work may include but is not limited to: DEIA plan requirement, training, reporting, considerations for staffing or any other direct or indirect contract or grant activity. All Contractors and Grantees shall notify their Contracting Officer or Grant Officer if they identify requirements within their contracts or grants that are in violation this guidance.
The NASA memo also offered the following guidance:
- Consistent with the DEIA E.O. and the Regulatory Freeze Pending Review E.O, additional guidance will be issued to further implement the executive order requirements, such as updating and removing DEIA related policy guidance in the NASA FAR Supplement, Grant and Cooperative Agreement Manual, Grant and Cooperative Agreement Procedures and the Grant and Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions.
Department of Energy
The DOE released a memo on Jan. 20 regarding an agency-wide review of program and administrative activities.
- Awards will be postponed for pending proposals.
- Work may continue if funds are available on existing awards.
- Additional funds will be postponed.
- A principal investigator or research administrator who receives a stop-work order directly should contact their award management officer in ORSP.
DOE Office of Science
- The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is immediately ending the requirement for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plans in proposals submitted to the office.
- All open solicitations have been or will be amended to remove the PIER Plan requirement and associated review criteria.
- For proposals already submitted, no action is required from applicants. However, applicants may choose to resubmit their application without a PIER Plan. Reviewers will not be asked to read or comment on PIER Plans, and selection decisions will not consider their content or any related reviewer comments.
Department of Agriculture
USDA has communicated a temporary suspension of actions on grants in a Jan. 21 memo.
- According to clarifications offered by the department, the moratorium does not apply to no-cost extensions or no-cost modifications on existing awards. This may include budget revisions that do not obligate additional funds, no-cost extensions of time, changes in key staff and other changes that do not result in any additional expenditure of funds (regardless of their source).
- Existing work can continue under active awards until such time that you receive future guidance that specific transactions must be modified or terminated.
- Payments or claims may continue to be processed under existing awards, provided that they are not funded using IRA and IIJA funding sources. Additional guidance related to IIJA and IRA funds will be provided by OCFO and/or OBPA, when available.
- USDA states that this guidance is subject to change pending future updates from the current administration.
National Institute of Justice
The National Institute of Justice – the research, evaluation, and technology agency of the Department of Justice – has cancelled all previously posted Notices of Funding Opportunity and associated webinars, according to a notice on its website.
Questions or concerns?
Please reach out to harpurresearch@binghamton.edu