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Sponsored Programs Administration
Office of Sponsored Programs
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Contract and Grant Administration

Federal Updates Resulting From Administration Transition

Overview

The new U.S. presidential administration officially began on January 20, 2025. Since then, many Executive Orders have been signed, signaling changes in federal priorities. These shifts have impacted current and future sponsored projects.

MSU is monitoring communications and guidance from federal agencies.  We are also working with associations that represent us, such as the Council for Governmental Relations (COGR) and the Association of American Universities (AAU).  We will be posting updates and agency-specific information here as it becomes available.

Possible Impacts to Sponsored Projects

Some existing executive orders and potential future directives could have impacts to sponsored projects.  It is crucial to stay informed about these developments and factor them into your planning and decision-making to ensure compliance and minimize disruptions. 

Proposals

  • OSP will continue to submit proposals as the federal agency submission systems are operational.
  • Please confirm when preparing applications/proposal that the funding announcement has not been revised, postponed, or deadlines changed.  Changes or cancellations have occurred in some programs, e.g., NIFA and AFRI projects, NIH diversity supplements, and international programs (as of January 27, 2025).
  • As new versions of existing Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) are released, please review carefully.  While they may explicitly identify changes, not all changes in the wording may be highlighted.
  • Sponsor proposal review timelines have been delayed at least at some agencies while federal agencies navigate pauses on federal assistance funding.

Awards

  • Please continue with work on existing awards under the terms and conditions of that award.  If there is a change to your award, such as a stop work order, termination, and/or similar directions, we should receive an amendment. 
  • Please be aware that there have been delays in funding for new and continuation awards. 
  • Closely monitor obligated budget balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future obligations.  Anticipated future funding remains subject to the availability of funds and the government’s priorities and should not be considered guaranteed.  No-cost extension requests to agencies may not be approved.
  • Prioritize the submission of any technical reports or deliverables that may be past due.
  • Sharing communications with OSP/CGA:
    • If you receive a termination notice, stop-work order, request or direction for change(s) in terms and/or scope of work, or similar communication from the federal government on a specific project and OSP or CGA has not already been copied on the communication, please send the communication to CGA Awards group. 
    • Although sponsor communication may be addressed to an OSP/CGA staff member, it is sometimes sent via email to the project director to handle.  In that case, please do not assume the correspondence was transmitted separately to OSP or CGA and share accordingly.  
    • Program officers have contacted faculty directly to recommend changes to titles or statements of work (SOWs) due to DEI-related rules.  Faculty should not sign any institutional or project certifications.  If the request is for minor wording changes and the PI wants to accept it, it is okay to do so as long as no certification is involved.  Please let CGA know about the changes if the faculty member is contacted directly.
    • For other types of correspondence, please see OSP/CGA contact list for the appropriate group.
  • If your impacted research involves human subjects, please see this page with additional Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) considerations.
  • Monitor Policy Updates: Keep an eye on announcements from the federal agency overseeing your grant or contract for any updates on funding or compliance requirements.
  • Agency staff may be less available due to layoffs or communication restraints.

Additional Information for Terminated Awards

  • For projects that have been terminated, CGA will coordinate with the Principal Investigator and the Fiscal Officer to guide the closeout process, including final financial reporting and invoicing. Please refer to the Cost Guidance Upon Award Termination webpage for more information on this process.
  • If your terminated award involves human subjects, please see this page with additional Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) considerations.

Resources, FAQs, and Bridge Funding Opportunities:

MSU Sponsored Programs Administration Resources

Internal MSU Funding Opportunities

  • Jenison Fund Career and Research Continuity Support -The office of the President, in partnership with the Office of the Provost and the Office of Research and Innovation, invites proposals for Graduate Student and Faculty Research Continuity Support, to help offset specific funding disruptions due to executive orders, grant cancellations, and stop-work orders. Applications are due August 29, 2025.
  • Henry Ford + MSU Research Affinity Group Funding - To further catalyze connections between researchers at Henry Ford and MSU, this partnership is offering two affinity group funding mechanisms (Team Building and Community Building). To enhance an engaged, scholarly community and vibrant research ecosystem, these funding opportunities empower Henry Ford and MSU scientists to self-assemble along lines of shared research interests. Deadline to apply: July 31, 2025.
  • MSU Internal Funding Opportunities - Proposal submissions for the 2025–2026 cycle of the Discretionary Funding Initiative (DFI), Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP), and Strategic Partnership Grants (SPG) will open in August. These programs are funded through the generosity of the Michigan State University Research Foundation.

Foundation Funding Opportunities

MSU's Office of Foundation Relations can help researchers navigate the private foundation landscape by guiding proposal development and submission. To assist MSU faculty in exploring these opportunities, they maintain a curated list of open foundation funding opportunities on the Foundation Funding website.  

Some foundations are now offering bridge funding to support researchers affected by terminated federal awards. As we learn about these opportunities, we will post information and links here. Please note: this is not a comprehensive list. If you know of additional opportunities not listed, email us at help@osp.msu.edu so we can keep this resource up to date.

  • The Spencer Foundation, in collaboration with The Kapor Foundation, The William T. Grant Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has developed a rapid response bridge funding opportunity for scholars and teams whose grants have recently been cancelled by NSF. To be eligible for these $25,000 grants, scholars must: (1) be working on research on STEM and education (including AI and CS, graduate education and MSIs, and scholarship that aims to reduce inequality), and (2) have had a recently terminated or cancelled grant from NSF. Where possible, early-career scholars will be prioritized. Please see the program's website for more information.

Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) Resources

MSU is an institutional member of COGR. Numerous resources are available through the COGR site:

Other MSU Resources

Other Resources

These are resources that have been shared with the community and do not necessarily reflect MSU's guidance.  

Agency Communications and Updates:

OMB is listed first, as it is part of the Executive Office of the President. Other agencies are listed alphabetically by acronym.  Under each agency, items are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent items shown first.

OMB:

Department of Commerce:

Department of Defense:

Department of Education:

DOE:

DOT:

HHS/NIH:

  • See information under the NIH section below.

NASA:

NIH:

NIJ:

  • As of 1/27/25, NIJ has cancelled all previously posted Notices of Funding Opportunity and associated webinars.  Please check the NIJ Current Funding Opportunities webpage for any updates.

NSF:

USAID:

USDA:

 

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of notifications.  Project-specific notifications may be sent directly to Principal Investigators. 

 

 

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