Updates on Federal Actions Related to Research

This webpage is dynamic and updated frequently. Please check back often.

Last updated April 29, 2026.

 

Open Forum for Research

The date of the next research open forum will be posted here once it has been scheduled.

View prior open forum slides. 

Guidelines for the Research Community

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) continues to monitor the 2025 presidential administration transition. Below are some helpful guidelines.

  • Closely monitor obligated budget balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future obligations. Anticipated future funding remains subject to availability of funds and should not be considered guaranteed.
  • If you are waiting to hear back from a program officer, please be aware they may not be able to respond during the agency communications pause.
  • Ensure all technical reports and deliverables are submitted by their due dates and prioritize the submission of any that are past due.
  • Monitor policy updates: Keep an eye on announcements from the federal agency overseeing your grant for any updates on funding or compliance requirements.
  • Principal investigators are encouraged to ensure that they have access to and control over datasets.
  • Continue to submit proposals. Closely monitor the funding announcement to see if the proposal criteria changes.
  • OVPRI and the Office of General Counsel ask that you forward any communications from granting agencies relating to stop work orders, modifications to existing grants, requests for attestations, and spending justification requests.

OVPRI has adopted a process to appeal the termination of contracts and grants by federal agencies (requires DuckID to log in).

Additionally, the UO continues to monitor and communicate any immigration updates, and their potential impact to our international, Dreamer, and undocumented students, faculty, and staff.

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Recent Federal Actions

Past Federal Actions
Statements in Response to Federal Actions

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Resources for Researchers

Please note this page is dynamic, and information could be incomplete.

At this time, the Council on Government Relations (COGR) is providing the most complete guidance on how the executive orders could affect operations, including a summary of executive orders. COGR's mission is to empower an unparalleled US academic research ecosystem by advancing sound federal policies and regulations that are vital to US science and innovation leadership and our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Request access to the COGR membership portal.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is tracking the actions of President Trump's administration that affect higher education. Chronicle of Higher Education's Trump's Agenda for Higher Ed Tracker (sign in with your DuckID to access Chronicle content)

The Chronicle is also tracking the development of an indirect costs (also known as facilities and administrative, or F&A) model. Read more about the Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model (requires UO VPN or account to access).

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has compiled a fiscal year (FY) 2026 research and development appropriations dashboard. It compares the White House, House, and Senate spending proposals for science and technology programs in FY 2026.

The Association of Public & Land-grant Universities (APLU) provides an overview of appropriations priorities annual requests and a summary of the FY26 President’s Budget Request.

APLU’s Office of Governmental produced a detailed analysis of FY26 funding levels for the association’s priority accounts spanning research, student aid, and other federal programs. 

APLU also maintains a tracker compiling F&A language across all FY26 appropriations bills. 

FAQs for Researchers

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Tracking Terminations and Appeals

  • Grant terminations received: 20, totaling $3.7 million
  • Change from previous week: 1
  • Relevant agencies: NEA, NEH, NSF, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Economic Development Administration, DHHS
  • Active appeals: 0
  • Terminations lifted: 13 (NIH: 11; NSF: 1; Corporation for National Community Service: 1), totaling $6.4 million

These figures are current as of 4/14.

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Email Updates

The following message was sent to graduate students, tenure track and research faculty, department grant administrators, OVPRI centers and institutes, core facility staff, Government and Community Relations, Office of General Counsel, and OVPRI staff on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

As you have likely heard, on Friday, April 24, the White House terminated all the members of the National Science Board (Inside Higher Ed article; it's free to set up an account), which oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF). The 25-member governing board oversees the nearly $9 billion funding agency, setting policies and approving large expenditures. Members are appointed by the president and serve six-year terms. Advocacy partners, the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), have issued statements decrying the action.

Despite this turn of events, the rate at which NSF grant monies are being distributed increased last week (institutional account required to access full article), albeit unevenly across the directorates.

We’ve also learned that an organization called the Knowledge Alliance has analyzed how the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the Department of Education, is spending or plans to spend the $768 million allotted to it by Congress. The group currently estimates that $289 million of that budget will go unspent at the current rate of distribution. Spending within IES is also uneven, with some areas on track to spend down their budgets, while others appear poised to allow funding to lapse (which would be returned to the U.S. Treasury).

However, with the end of the federal fiscal year still five months away, we remain hopeful that award dispersal will continue to accelerate.

 

Prior Emails

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