Executive Actions and Federally Sponsored Research
We are working in lockstep with partners in our NC delegations, advocacy associations, and partner institutions to gain more information and will share it as we receive it. Until the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research issues specific guidance directing a change in status, we advise research teams to continue working on your projects as normal.
As the situation evolves:
- If you receive information regarding a pause, change, or impact on your federally funded research from an agency, please reach out to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at vcr@unc.edu so that we may provide clarity and assistance. You can also use this email to ask questions, and we will answer to the best of our ability.
- If you receive a a stop-work order, please direct all agency correspondence to SponsoredPrograms@unc.edu and coordinate with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) in all stop-work situations. OSP will review the stop-work order and clarify which transactions are allowable and which cannot be charged during the stop-work period.
Additional proposal and project-specific guidance on executive actions for federally funded programs and stop-work orders can be found on the OSP website.
Visit the Office of Federal Affair’s Trump Administration Transition Resources webpage for latest updates on federal policies and executive orders.
These sites will be updated regularly.
Current OVCR Guidance
02/13/2025: Update on NIH eRA Commons, Salary Cap, & Proposals
02/11/2025: Update on NIH Notice on Indirects & NIH Proposals
02/08/2025: OVCR Update on Federal Funding Programs, Feb. 8
02/07/2025: OVCR Office Hours Summary — a recap of the OVCR Office Hours webinar held on Feb. 6 (this is an internal page, ONYEN login required)
02/05/2025: Preserving Access to Research Data
Previous OVCR GuidanceCurrent Federal Updates
2/08/2025: A federal judge in Massachusetts granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) indirect rate cut after 22 states, including North Carolina, filed a lawsuit to block the order. Per the TRO, the NIH has until Friday, Feb. 14, to file an opposition to the motion, and a hearing to evaluate next steps has been set for Feb. 21.
2/07/2025: The NIH published a notice (NOT-OD-25-068) entitled “Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Costs,” stating that effective immediately, all NIH grants must have a maximum indirect cost rate of 15% in lieu of the normal rates defined in a university’s negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.
2/03/2025: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that a federal court order blocking the federal funding freeze doesn’t halt the administration’s efforts.
Previous Federal UpdatesHelpful Information from Partner Associations
APLU, AAU, & ACE Statement On Legal Challenge to the Administration’s Cut to NIH Research
Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs of Research Overview