Update on Federal Research Funding
Please visit our dedicated page on Federal Executive Orders.
1/29/2025 – Dear Colleagues,
We understand the significant concerns arising from recent Executive Orders and Memoranda.
This week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued memorandum (M-25-13), “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance [PDF].” This memorandum directs federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to the obligation or disbursement of federal financial assistance, including but not limited to, financial aid for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, gender ideology, and the Green New Deal.” This pause was scheduled to take effect on January 28, 2025, at 5 p.m. EST. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked part of this order late yesterday. The judge’s order prevents the administration from freezing funding for “open awards” that have already been granted by the federal government until at least February 3, 2025, by which time a decision on a permanent injunction is anticipated. Most recently, at 1pm on January 29, 2025, the White House has issued M-25-14 [PDF] which rescinds M-25-13. Needless to say, this is a rapidly evolving situation.
Some federal agencies, e.g. DOE, NASA, and NSF, have issued guidelines/orders to stop all DEIA-related activities and expenditures. ORI is working with partners across the university to understand the potential impact of these orders and which specific grants and contracts could be affected. As part of this process, we may be asking specific investigators for additional information about their grants. Currently, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding this situation, and it will likely take time until we fully understand what, if any, changes we will need to make.
For now, all research activities supported by federal funding should continue as usual unless we receive a stop-work or cancellation/termination order for a project.
If you receive such an order, please contact ORI (ori@drexel.edu) immediately and temporarily cease all related sponsored activities. However, if human subjects or animal models are involved in this work, please refer to the operational updates referenced at the end of this communication.
We will continue to gather information from multiple sources to help us determine how best to move forward. We recognize that these changing federal directives have undoubtedly caused concern and anxiety in Drexel’s community. So, we will continue to closely monitor developments and provide timely updates as new information becomes available. We will share what we know and encourage everyone to avoid speculation. Please monitor your emails and this Federal Research Updates 2025 page on the ORI website for the most up-to-date information. Specifically, please review the operational updates found in this slide deck.
In closing, we are committed to upholding our institution’s mission, vision and values.
Sincerely,
Aleister Saunders, PhD
Executive Vice Provost for Research & Innovation
Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences