Research Impacts

Federal Government Shutdown

Federal Government Shutdown

This page contains the information and guidance on impacts to research operations during a potential government shutdown.  For regular updates please continue to follow our Federal Administration Transition webpage, which is updated each regularly as appropriate.

If a shutdown is short-term, we would expect minimal disruption of our day-to-day operations. The impact could become more significant in the event of a longer shutdown.

COGR tracks federal agency contingency guidance. Some of the guidance is for federal grant recipients and other guidance is geared directly to federal agency employees. All guidance is being shared so our research community is aware of plans at the agency level. 

In the event of a shutdown, if you have planned meetings, travel or conferences with federal agencies, make sure to check for postponements or changes beforehand. 

Informational Links

Current Federally-Funded Research Projects

The majority of federally-funded projects are grants, and work on those projects would continue as planned.

A small number of federally-funded projects are contracts rather than grants, and a stop work order could be issued by contract funders.

  • If a stop work order is issued for a contract, the sponsoring agency and/or ERIK's Sponsored Programs team will be in direct contact with the principal investigator. In this case, PIs should work with their sponsored program officer and department administrator to determine next steps.
  • Consult your sponsored program officer for guidance on any research that is considered essential and should not cease during a stop work order.

In the event of a shutdown, federal agencies may post contingency plans , and researchers should check agency websites and work with their sponsored program officer. Generally though here are some guidelines that may be helpful:

  • Administrative processes related to federal funding may be on hold.
  • Federal agency program officers and grants management staff are not be available to answer questions, approve requests, etc.
  • Federal websites, business applications and other systems may be unavailable or have limited functionality, including little or no support for problem resolution.
  • New funding opportunities would not be issued, panel reviews could be postponed and no new grants or no-cost extensions would be awarded.
  • Awarded projects may be disrupted during a shutdown if they are conducted in a federal facility.

Proposals in Development

  • For those planning to submit proposals, we recommend that you continue preparation and internal submission.
  • ERIK's Sponsored Programs team will work with investigators to file at the appropriate time.