This page was last updated Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 2:06 pm.
Rescission of OMB Memo m-25-13
The Office of Management & Budget released a memo rescinding OMB Memo M-25-13.
This page was last updated Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 1:21 pm.
An Office of Management and Budget directive pausing federal funding has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. The administrative stay issued by U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan on January 28 will expire on Februrary 3.
Travel may be suspended by federal agencies. Please do not make new travel arrangements until further guidance has been provided. If you have already made travel arrangements that are critical to your research project, continue with your travel plans but be prepared for potential cancellation or delay.
NSF Implementation of recent executive orders
NSF released a message to the principal investigator communuity on January 28, 2025 regarding OMB Memo M-25-13.
Award Cash Management Service (ACMS)
The Award Cash Management Service (ACMS) is temporarily unavailable while NSF performs a comprehensive review of the award portfolio to ensure compliance with recent Executive Orders, pursuant to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-25-13, issued on January 27, 2025. Therefore, all payments under active awards will be paused as the agency conducts the required reviews and analysis.
PMS NIH Letter of Credit System
The PMS NIH Letter of Credit (LOC) System is only available during the hours of 9:00
AM to 4:00 PM EST Monday through Friday. The limited hours are in effect until a further
notice. Due to Executive Orders regarding potentially unallowable grant payments,
PMS is taking additional measures to process payments. Reviews of applicable programs
and payments will result in delays and cancellations.
This page was last updated Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 2:51 pm.
OMB Guidance
In implementing President Trump’s Executive Orders, the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) issued guidance requesting that agencies temporarily pause, to the extent permitted by law, grant, loan or federal financial assistance programs that are implicated by the President’s Executive Orders.
This page was last updated Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 11:18 a.m.
The federal administration has recently issued several Executive Orders that may signal shifts in federal priorities. These changes could potentially impact both your awarded projects and those awaiting funding from federal agencies or sponsors. As federal agencies and sponsors adapt to these developments, USF Research & Innovation will continue to provide you with guidance, updates and links to relevant resources to help you navigate this evolving landscape.
Proposals
- We will continue to submit proposals as the federal agencies' submission systems are operational.
- Sponsor proposal review timelines may be extended while federal agencies navigate pauses on federal assistance funding in specific areas.
What to Do:
- There may be changes to proposal deadlines. It is recommended to reconfirm the deadline.
- Reconfirm that the funding announcement has not been revised or postponed. If available, consider signing up for alerts from the federal agency or sponsor.
Awards
- The terms and conditions of your executed award remain enforceable so long as your
award is active. This includes the ability to invoice and receive reimbursement. Please
continue with business as usual. If there is a change to your award, USF will receive
an amendment for review and execution.
- We anticipate updates to award Research Compliance requirements. These changes could
either be implemented directly by a federal agency or sponsor or may require an amendment
on a project-by-project basis. We will share any information we receive with you,
though you may also receive instructions directly from your Program Officer. It is
crucial to act swiftly to ensure compliance with any new requirements, as failure
to do so could jeopardize funding.
- If you need assistance managing research compliance matters related to research security, please email Institutional Research Effectiveness & Assement at rfmcompliance@usf.edu.
- For assistance managing compliance matters related to export control, please email Export Control Officer Fred Pflueger at fpflueger@usf.edu.
- For assistance managing research compliance matters related to IRB, IACUC, COI, and
RCR, contact Research Integrity & Compliance.
- We anticipate updates to award reporting requirements. These changes could either
be implemented directly by a federal agency or sponsor or may require an amendment
on a project-by-project basis. We will share any information we receive with you,
though you may also receive instructions directly from your Program Officer. It is
crucial to act swiftly to ensure you are complying with any new reporting requirements,
as failure to do so could jeopardize funding. If you need assistance managing any
requests, please contact your SRA.
- If specific programs are terminated or restructured, you may encounter difficulties
accessing funds or meeting new criteria. Federal agencies managing these programs
will typically issue guidance on how to proceed. We will pass this along promptly
if/when received.
- If a program or initiative is reduced or defunded, there could be delays or pauses
in payments for existing grants under those programs. While this is rare, it may occur
if funding for a program is rescinded or redirected.
- If an Advance Account status has already been initiated for your project due to indications
from the federal agency regarding an award, ongoing negotiations, or awaiting the
next funding increment, you are encouraged to check this web page for updates from
USF.
- What to Do:
- Review Your Grant Agreement: Ensure you understand the terms, especially clauses related to funding availability and reimbursement.
- 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.
- Communicate with the Grant Officer: Stay in touch with your program or grant officer to confirm there are no changes affecting your award.
- Reports and Deliverables: Prioritize the submission of any technical reports or deliverables that may have been 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.
Executive Actions and Federal Agency Guidance
Federal Health Agency guidance applies for all HHS entities (NIH, CDC, FDA were listed as examples, key USF sponsors in the field), but the guidance extends to SAMSHA, ARPA-H, etc.)
Suspended travel using federal health agency funding includes all types of travel, (in-state/local, out of state, and international). Effective immediately and until further notice.
APLU Overview of Executive Orders
The APLU has posted an Overview of President Trump's Executive Orders.
Department of Energy (DOE)
The DOE has issued new guidance indicating that, until further notice, there will be delays in any funding actions. Here’s what this means for projects pending or already awarded by DOE:
- Pending Proposals
• Awards will be postponed. - Existing Awards
• Work can continue if obligated funds are available. - Delays in Additional Funding
• Additional funds, including continuations and supplements, will be postponed. - Award Performance
• Performance should continue as long as funding is available unless a stop-work order has been issued. Stop-work orders are generally limited to projects funded through contracts or cooperative agreements.
• If a PI or RA receives a stop-work order notice directly, please forward it immediately to rsch-awards@usf.edu; do not continue expending money or effort on the project, as it may not be reimbursable. Funds expended after a stop work order may become the responsibility of the college or department. - Awards & Amendments/Modifications to Awards Under Negotiation
• All awards currently under negotiation will be halted until further notice. - Subrecipients
• It is the PI’s responsibility to notify current subrecipients under DOE funding about any guidance that may impact their award. If funds have been obligated and are available, work may continue as long as funding is available (unless a stop-work order has been issued). Stop-work orders are generally limited to projects funded through contracts or cooperative agreements.
Federal Health Agencies Guidance (All HHS agencies & offices)
Federal Health Agency Guidance - (National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)) Federal health agencies have not issued any overarching guidance regarding Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), proposals or awarded grants. At this time, the guidance below was developed using various news articles and credible sources.
- NOFOs
- No new NOFOs have been posted since 1/22/2025, but existing opportunities have submission
dates set well into the future. Exercise discretion when pursuing these opportunities,
as submission dates may change, or the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) could
be withdrawn and revised.
- No new NOFOs have been posted since 1/22/2025, but existing opportunities have submission
dates set well into the future. Exercise discretion when pursuing these opportunities,
as submission dates may change, or the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) could
be withdrawn and revised.
- Communications
- There will be a delay in communications from NIH due to a mandate from HHS imposing
a temporary halt on public communications from federal health agencies, including
the CDC, the FDA and the NIH. These communications extend to issuance of documents,
guidance or notices, as they must receive approval from a political appointee before
being released. This freeze will remain in effect until February 1, 2025, with exceptions
made only for critical health and safety information.
- There will be a delay in communications from NIH due to a mandate from HHS imposing
a temporary halt on public communications from federal health agencies, including
the CDC, the FDA and the NIH. These communications extend to issuance of documents,
guidance or notices, as they must receive approval from a political appointee before
being released. This freeze will remain in effect until February 1, 2025, with exceptions
made only for critical health and safety information.
- Pending Proposals
- Awards will be postponed.
- Awards will be postponed.
- Existing Awards
- Work can continue if obligated funds are available.
- Travel is immediately suspended for federal health agency employees and if an already awarded research grant includes travel. If you have already made travel plans, please suspend them until further notice.
- Delays in Additional Funding
- Additional funds, including continuations and supplements, will be postponed.
- Additional funds, including continuations and supplements, will be postponed.
- Award Performance
- Performance should continue as long as funding is available unless a stop-work order has been issued. Stop-work orders are generally limited to projects funded through contracts or cooperative agreements.
- If a PI or RA receives a stop-work order notice directly, please forward it immediately
to rsch-awards@usf.edu; do not continue expending money or effort on the project,
as it may not be reimbursable. Funds expended after a stop work order may become the
responsibility of the college or department.
- Awards
- Any NIH Notice of Award received by the University of South Florida (USF) is considered
awarded and funds are obligated. USF will adhere to its standard processes to establish
the grant account and initiate the project.
- Any NIH Notice of Award received by the University of South Florida (USF) is considered
awarded and funds are obligated. USF will adhere to its standard processes to establish
the grant account and initiate the project.
- Review panels
- All peer review panel meetings have been canceled.
- All peer review panel meetings have been canceled.
- Subrecipients
-
It is the PI’s responsibility to notify current subrecipients under HHS funding about any guidance that may impact their award.
- For existing subawards, if funds have been obligated and are available, work may continue as long as funding is available (unless a stop-work order has been issued). Stop-work orders are generally limited to projects funded through contracts or cooperative agreements.
- If a PI or RA receives a stop-work order notice directly, please forward it immediately to rsch-awards@usf.edu and RFMCompliance@usf.edu. Do not continue expending money or effort on the project, as it may not be reimbursable. Funds expended after a stop work order has been issued will become the responsibility of the USF college or the subrecipient entity.
-
Until further notice is received from HHS, if funds for subrecipients have not been obligated for new periods of performance, additional funding—including continuations and supplements—will be postponed.
- If an already awarded research grant or subaward includes travel, please suspend travel plans until further notice from HHS.
-
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA has implemented an immediate suspension of all USDA actions related to grants, including Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grants. Questions (FAQs) below:
1) Does the moratorium include no-cost extensions or no-cost modifications on existing awards?
- USDA Answer: No, it does not apply to no-cost extension or no-cost modifications. This may include
budget revisions that do not obligate additional funds, no-cost extensions of time,
changes in key staff, and other changes that do not result in any additional expenditure
of funds (regardless of their source).
- USF Guidance: If you have not yet submitted your no-cost extension request and are eligible to do so, please submit it at your earliest convenience.
2) Can existing work continue under active awards?
- USDA Answer: Yes, until such time that you receive guidance in the future that specific transactions must be modified or terminated.
- USF Guidance: Please limit your transactions to those that are critical to the project and exercise caution in all decisions.
3) Can payments or claims be processed under awards?
- USDA Answer: At this time, yes, payments or claims may continue to be processed under existing awards, provided that they are not funded using Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding sources. Additional guidance related to IIJA and IRA funds will be provided by USDA when available.
- USF Guidance: Please ensure timely submission of your expenses so that costs can be invoiced promptly.
U.S. Department of State (DOS)
Current DOS posture is that they are not able to obligate any new funds in this period due to an Executive Order instituting a 90 Day pause on new foreign assistance funding.
U.S. Department of Labor
No overall guidance has been provided yet, but it may be in the process of being distributed, either generally or on a project-by-project basis. We are actively monitoring for updates and will provide further information as it becomes available.
National Institute of Justice
At this time, NIJ has cancelled all previously posted Notices of Funding Opportunity and associated webinars. Please check back to NIJ.OJP.gov and Grants.gov to keep up to date on future NOFO and webinar postings.