Navigating the Federal Transition
Agency Updates and Guidance
As the Trump administration begins implementing policy priorities, Executive Orders are being issued, requiring federal agencies to review their programs for alignment.
As federal agencies and sponsors make changes or notify us of updates to specific research projects, the UD Research Office will keep you informed with guidance, updates and relevant resources.
If you receive information useful for this page, please forward it to udresearch@udel.edu.
This page will be updated as new information is received.
Proposals
- Continue to submit proposals — federal agencies are accepting proposals and their systems are operational.
- Sponsor review timelines may be extended as the federal agencies navigate new policy requirements.
NIH GUIDANCE (2/07/2025)
- For new proposals that have not been submitted to NIH
- Question: What rate should be applied to NIH proposals?
- Guidance: Continue to use the federally negotiated rates until further notice.
What You Should Do:
- Check the proposal solicitation for any updated guidance.
- Reconfirm the application deadline.
- Sign up for funding alerts from the sponsor if available.
UD LEADERSHIP MESSAGES
From the Office of the President
and the Research Office
- UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Federal Funding Updates – Feb. 14
Friday, February 14, 2025
View Email > - OFFICE OF THE UD PRESIDENT
UPDATE: Recent Executive Orders
Thursday, January 13, 2025
View Email > - UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Federal Funding: NIH Guidance
Friday, February 10, 2025
View Email > - UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Federal Funding Updates
Friday, February 7, 2025
View Email > - UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Federal Transition Webpage for UD Researchers
Friday, January 31, 2025
View Email > - UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Update: Federal Pause Rescinded; Agency Updates
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
View Email > - UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Update: Navigating the Evolving Research Landscape
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
View Email > - OFFICE OF THE UD PRESIDENT
Recent Executive Orders
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
View Email > - UD RESEARCH OFFICE
Initial Impacts of Recent Executive Orders on University Research
Thursday, January 23, 2025
View Email >
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.
DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) Activities
- Federal agencies have issued notices to immediately cease all DEIA activities associated with awarded federally funded projects. Affected activities include, but are not limited to:
- DEIA/Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) plan requirements
- Training and reporting
- Staffing considerations
- Other direct or indirect award activities
NIH GUIDANCE (2/07/2025)
- Already Established at the Negotiated Rate
- Question: Can spending continue as planned for existing awards?
- Guidance: Yes. Awards already set up in UD’s financial system may proceed under the prior guidance issued by UD leadership.
- Modifications
- Question: Can we process modifications for ongoing awards?
- Guidance: If the modification incorporates the established federally negotiated rates – yes. If the modification incorporates the new 15% rate – no. For the moment, we need to hold off on accepting any award notices that include the 15% rate.
- Notices Received Before the New NIH Guidance
- Question: Can these awards be set up, and can spending begin?
- Guidance: Yes, as long as the award notice explicitly states that the grant was awarded using the federally negotiated rates or other previously identified rates (e.g., 8% for training grants). These awards should be set up at that rate, and work can commence following UD leadership’s prior guidance.
- Notices Incorporating the New 15% Rate (Issued on or after February 10)
- Question: Should these awards be set up, and can spending begin?
- Guidance: No. We are not able to support our research with the 15% rate, and Research Office will not set up new NIH awards that incorporate this rate, nor authorize pre-award costs or advance funding. Please contact the Research Office with specific questions.
What You Should Do:
- We are not recommending changes in grant activities unless you receive a specific stop-work order or modification of your award.
- If you receive such a notification, immediately contact your contracts and grants (C&G) analyst in the Research Office or Jeff Friedland, associate vice president for research administration, for further guidance.
- Important Note about NIH No-Cost Extensions: NIH has re-enabled the option to process a first-time no-cost extension.
Research Compliance
- We anticipate updates to Research Compliance requirements for awards. 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. 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/export control, please contact Sean Hayes, interim associate vice president for regulatory affairs.
- 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; 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 unit’s contracts and grants analyst or Jeff Friedland, associate vice president for research administration.
- 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 information 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.
What You Should Do:
- Ensure you understand the terms of your grant agreement, 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.
- Stay in touch with your program or grant officer to confirm there are no changes affecting your award.
Prioritize the submission of any reports or deliverables that may be past due. - Keep an eye out for announcements from the federal agency overseeing your grant for any updates on funding or compliance requirements.
Executive Orders
An Executive Order directs government operations and has the force of law. The Executive Orders under the new administration are listed below. This White House webpage includes a complete list of Executive Orders and other presidential actions.
February 2025 Executive Order Listing
Below is a listing of Executive Orders announced in February 2025.
- Imposing Duties to Address the Situation at Our Southern Border (2/1/25)
- Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China (2/1/25)
- Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border (2/1/25)
- Progress on the Situation on Our Southern Border (2/3/25)
- A Plan for Establishing a United States Sovereign Wealth Fund (2/3/25)
- Progress on the Situation at Our Northern Border (2/3/25)
- National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2 (2/4/25)
- Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations (2/4/25)
- Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports (2/5/25)
- Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias (2/6/25)
- Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court (2/6/25)
- Protecting Second Amendment Rights (2/7/25)
- Establishment of the White House Faith Office (2/7/25)
- Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa (2/7/25)
- Eliminating the Federal Executive Institute (2/10/25)
- Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security (2/10/25)
- Implementing the Presidents’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative (2/11/25)
- One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations (2/12/25)
- Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission (2/13/25)
- Establishing National Energy Dominance Council (2/14/25)
- Keeping Education Accessible and Ending COVIE-19 Mandated in Schools (2/15/25)
January 2025 Executive Order Listing
Below is a listing of Executive Orders announced in January 2025.
- Unleashing American Energy (1/20/25)
- Declaring a National Energy Emergency (1/20/25)
- Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (1/20/25)
- Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential (1/20/25)
- Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government (1/20/25)
- Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce (1/20/25)
- Holding Former Government Officials Accountable for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of Sensitive Governmental Information” (1/20/25)
- Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service (1/20/25)
- Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (1/20/25)
- Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government (1/20/25)
- Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness (1/20/25)
- Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship (1/20/25)
- America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State (1/20/25)
- Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid (1/20/25)
- Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (1/20/25)
- Clarifying the Military’s Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United States (1/20/25)
- Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program (1/20/25)
- Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship (1/20/25)
- Securing Our Borders (1/20/25)
- Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety (1/20/25)
- Protecting the American People Against Invasion (1/20/25)
- Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (1/20/25)
- Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats (1/20/25)
- Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok (1/20/25)
- Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions (1/20/25)
- Designation of Ansar Allah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (1/22/25)
- Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (1/23/25)
- Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1/23/25)
- Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology (1/23/25)
- Enforcing the Hyde Amendment (1/24/25)
- Emergency Measures to Provide Water Resources in California and Improve Disaster Response in Certain Areas (1/24/25)
- Council to Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency (1/24/25)
- The Iron Dome for America (1/27/24)
- Restoring America’s Fighting Force (1/27/25)
- Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness (1/27/25)
- Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under The Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate (1/27/25)
- Protecting Children from Chemical and Military Mutilation (1/28/25)
- Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunities for Families (1/28/25)
- Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling (1/29/25)
- Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday (1/29/25)
- Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism (1/29/25)
Federal Agency Guidance
As federal agencies issue official guidance and updates, more sections will be added below.
Department of Agriculture
- 1/21/25 Memorandum:
Hiring, Regulatory and Obligation of Funding Moratoriums - 1/23/25 NIFA Notice:
Funding Opportunities Under Review
Department of Defense
- 1/28/25 Release:
Department of Defense Statement Clarifying Defense Contracting
Department of Energy (DOE)
- 1/28/25 Memo: Executive Order Update to PIER Plan Requirement
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), including National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- 2/6/25 Memorandum: Initial Guidance Regarding Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government Executive Order
- 1/30/25 Memorandum: Initial Guidance Regarding President Trump’s Executive Order Defending Women
- 1/23/25 Memorandum: Initial Guidance Regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Executive Orders
National Science Foundation (NSF)
UD Research Community FAQs
- Any word on the Department of Defense funding? I have not been able to find anything online.
ANSWER: The Department of Defense released this information about projects and contracts on 1/28/25. - I am wondering if the email we received about grants should be considered to include similar uncertainties for the NSF GSRF. I am of course hoping to hear that _that_ at least is safe.
ANSWER: NSF has released this webpage where a webform is available for asking questions.