Updates on Federal Actions Related to Research

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

Last updated February 25, 2026.

 

Open Forum for Research

The most recent open forum for research was held on February 18. Betsy Boyd, senior associate vice president for Government and Community Relations, provided updates on the status of federal appropriations for research. Jessica Price, assistant vice president for Research Integrity; Mandy Gettler Brown, associate director of Conflicts of Interest and Export Controls; and Ethan Mapes, export controls officer, discussed federal updates related to national security in research. 

View the 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: 19, totaling $1.5 million
  • Change from previous week: 0
  • Relevant agencies: NEA, NEH, NSF, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Economic Development Administration
  • 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 2/25.

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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, February 25, 2026.

In our brief message this week, we would like to update you on federal agency leadership and share information on ways to amplify advocacy efforts by the Association of American Universities.President Donald Trump plans to nominate Jim O’Neill (Inside Higher Ed account is needed to access the article) to be the next director of the National Science Foundation. O’Neill has served as the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services since August 2025. His nomination must be confirmed by the US Senate. This move means that the director of the National Institutes of Health, Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya, would add the CDC job to his portfolio until a successor is nominated.

Higher Education Advocacy

The Association of American Universities (AAU), of which the University of Oregon is a member, encourages the higher education community to amplify AAU materials by sharing, liking, or reposting them on personal social media channels or by sharing them with policymakers and staff directly:

  • Article from the Leading Research Universities Report about a New York Fed study on the return on investment on a college education. Share AAU’s Twitter post to highlight the value AAU institutions provide to their students and graduates.
  • AAU’s Twitter and LinkedIn posts about how four in five Americans support US government investments in scientific research aimed at advancing knowledge. Reshare the graphic to emphasize public support for the research conducted at your institution and the federal government’s vital role in making it happen.
  • Article from the Leading Research Universities Report about NACUBO and Commonfund’s latest endowment survey showing that colleges and universities continue to spend a substantial portion of their endowment funds on scholarships and research. Share AAU’s posts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Threads to illustrate your institution’s use of its endowment to improve affordability and fund groundbreaking research, in spite of financial headwinds facing higher education.

Prior Emails

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