Injunction issued on NIH F&A cap
On Thursday, March 6, a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction against the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) proposed indirect costs rate cap of 15%. This ruling will halt the implementation, application, and enforcement of the guidance the NIH released on February 7. The injunction applies to all institutions nationwide and will allow UNC-Chapel Hill to continue to use the normal rates pursuant to our negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.
Appropriations update
The federal government is operating under a continuing resolution (CR) for FY24 that provides funding through March 14. On March 12, the House passed a CR that largely keeps the government funded at its current level through September 30. The Senate will need to pass this CR and President Trump must sign it into law before March 14 to avoid a federal government shutdown.
Linda McMahon confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Education
On Monday, March 5, Linda McMahon faced the final step of her Senate confirmation process and will officially assume her post as secretary.
McMahon is a North Carolina native. She grew up in New Bern and attended East Carolina University. She co-founded and led World Wrestling Entertainment and served on the Connecticut Board of Education for one year. In President Trump’s previous administration, she led the Small Business Administration from 2017-2019. Following, she led the America First Action PAC in support of President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. Additionally, she serves on the board of Sacred Heart University.
UNC Federal Affairs will continue to monitor the situation at the Department of Education closely and provide timely updates as they arise.
Jay Bhattacharya begins confirmation process for NIH director
On March 5, Jay Bhattacharya, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), went before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to commence his confirmation process. In the hearing, senators on the committee asked Bhattacharya questions on a wide range of topics to gain clarity on how he will run the agency if successfully confirmed. The various questions from the panel touched on research funding, indirect costs of research, supporting early career researchers, COVID-19, and research project topics, along with Bhattacharya’s previous experiences and his vision for the NIH.
Throughout the hearing, Bhattacharya emphasized that if confirmed, he will follow the laws in place and to support the mission of NIH. Additionally, he asserted that research should be focused on the current issues that Americans are experiencing every day and that every researcher supported by NIH funding should have the resources they need to succeed.
Bhattacharya’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for March 13.
Investigation results on DEI grants at NSF released
On February 11, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, released a full database uncovering the findings of his October 2024 investigation into grants at the National Science Foundation (NSF), identifying whether certain projects promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or other ideologies. The database showed more than 3,400 grants totaling around $2 billion of NSF funding that includes notions of DEI. The research topics of the specified grants are wide-ranging.