Updates on Federal Executive Orders and Research Activities

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

Last updated February 28, 2025

Temporary restraining order issued against NIH notice on indirect funding cap

On Monday, February 10, the State of Oregon joined 21 other states in filing a lawsuit against the guide notice issued February 7 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The guide notice purported to cap the indirect costs (also known as facilities and administrations costs, or F&A) of NIH grants at 15%. 

Yesterday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the controversial policy within the 22 states whose attorneys general are party to the lawsuit brought in the US District Court. Because the temporary restraining order halts the policy from being applied to existing NIH grants until otherwise ordered by the court, principal investigators (PIs) and departmental grant administrators are advised to use the UO’s existing applicable F&A rate for proposal submissions.

Two similar lawsuits have also been filed, including one by the Association for Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), Association of American Universities (AAU) and the American Council on Education (ACE), which represent member universities in all 50 states and six territories. A suit filed by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) has also been granted a restraining order, which is applicable nationwide. A hearing has been set for February 21.

NIH temporarily turned off institutions' (including the UO) ability to request automatic no-cost extensions (NCEs). This functionally was restored Wednesday, February 12, but it creates uncertainty about all federal agencies' acceptance of NCE requests. Keeping this in mind, we advise PIs to manage their grant expenditures accordingly.

As a reminder, the UO research community has been invited to a virtual meeting to address federal research funding-related concerns Thursday, February 13 from 3:00–4:00 p.m. 

Resources for Researchers

At this time, the Council on Government Relations (COGR) is providing the most complete guidance on how the executive orders could affect operations. 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.

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

Email Updates

The following message was sent to 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 Friday, February 28.

Notice regarding request for assurances and Feb. 26 president's executive order

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) has become aware that some agencies are reaching out to researchers and asking them to certify that the UO is compliant with recent executive orders (EO). If you receive this type of communication, please forward it to OVPRI (vpri@uoregon.edu) and the Office of General Counsel (gcounsel@uoregon.edu). Examples of this type of communication may include:

“The grant does not include ‘DEI or DEIA’ performance requirements in compliance with EO14151 (‘Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing’). Or the grant activities funded do not include ‘gender ideology’ in compliance with EO14168 (‘Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’).”

These requests may also be embedded within awards or other communications from funding agencies.

It’s important to note that most of the EOs that apply to the research community (e.g., those pertaining to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives) have been blocked by preliminary injunctions or by temporary restraining orders. If you have received any such request for assurance, certification, or attestation upon either your individual behalf or that of the university, do not sign it, but rather forward to OVPRI and General Counsel as noted above. 

February 26 Executive Order

As you have likely heard, the White House issued a new executive order on Wednesday, February 26 that charges every federal agency head, in consultation with the agency’s Department of Government Efficiency team, to review existing contracts and grants.

We are uncertain how this EO will be implemented by agencies. We continue to work with our peers and allies in AAU, APLU, COGR, and the Big 10 to understand the implications of such orders and coordinate responses where needed. As grant-funded work is happening, please only make grant-supported expenditures that are essential. OVPRI, General Counsel, and the President’s Executive Team are analyzing the potential implications of the EO.

If you receive specific guidance or specific grant notifications from agencies, please continue to forward them to OVPRI and General Counsel.

We understand that this rapid pace of change within the federal landscape is causing stress and uncertainty for our research community. The UO makes available many resources through the Employee Assistance Program (via Canopy, a Portland-based company) including access to counseling services. 

We continue to monitor the situation. As a reminder, the OVPRI federal executive order webpage is regularly updated with information about executive orders related to research.  

Prior Emails

Helpful External Websites

Guidelines for the Research Community

On Wednesday, January 29, the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-25-14 to rescind OMB Memorandum M-25-13, which had ordered a pause on all federal funding assistance including billions of dollars in grants and loans to colleges and universities.

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.
  • Reports and deliverables. Prioritize the submission of any technical reports or deliverables that may be 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.
  • Datasets. 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 or modifications to existing grants.