Information on Executive Actions and Current ISU Guidance
UPDATE
February 3, 2025
9:30 AM MST
Additional resources and updates continue to be available regarding Administration directives. The following sources are the most reliable and contain regularly updated information. Please refer to these resources for source information. If you have additional questions, please contact research@isu.edu. The ISU Office for Research will share updates when significant changes or issues arise.
- NSF Implementation of Recent Executive Orders: https://new.nsf.gov/executive-orders
- Council on Government Relations (CoGR) 2025 Administration Transition Information and Resources: https://www.cogr.edu/2025-administration-transition-information-resources
- White House Presidential Actions: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/
We will continue to post updates at www.isu.edu/research.
ISU Office for Research
January 31, 2025
2:30 PM MST
UPDATE: Stop Work Orders on Federal Contracts and Grants
Beginning this morning, universities across the country began receiving targeted “Stop Work” orders from federal agencies. Some federal agencies are communicating these orders with Offices for Research, others are communicating directly with principal investigators. The vast majority of orders are related to international-focused projects, but some have been targeted to USDA, Tribal entity, and US Dept of Health and Human Services programs that have a stated objective related to DEI or the “green new deal.”
If an ISU principal investigator (PI) receives a “Stop Work” order from a federal agency and/ or federal program officer, please forward it directly to research@isu.edu. ANY response or reply to these orders will be handled by Idaho State University administration. PIs are not authorized to respond on ISU’s behalf.
Questions related to this issue should be directed to research@isu.edu We appreciate your patience and cooperation in this ever-changing situation.
Jan. 29, 2025
3:30 PM MST
UPDATE: Pause on Federal Assistance Temporarily Blocked
Earlier today, the Office of Management and Budget rescinded the memo (OMB M-25-13) that enacted a federal funding pause. From the APLU Council on Research:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has rescinded M-25-13, the original OMB memo from Jan 27th that called for a blanket temporary pause of federal agency grants. This rescission does not rescind any other memo or executive order, so agencies will still be reviewing existing grants for compliance with other EOs. Additionally, any previously announced agency communication pauses are still in place.
While the pause on federal funding has been rescinded, the President’s Executive Order to review programs in the coming months remains in place. The ISU Office for Research will continue to track communications from the federal government and granting agencies.
In the meantime, PI’s should continue to develop and submit proposals as well as conduct research funded by Federal grants and contracts. Until further agency clarification is provided, we recommend that non-salary/non-wage expenses be delayed or deferred, where possible.
Jan. 29, 2025
9:00 AM MST
Late yesterday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Administration’s pause on federal assistance. This temporary injunction orders the Administration to NOT block "open awards," or funds that were already slated to be disbursed, until at least Feb. 3. It does not, however, block the Administration from freezing funding to new programs, or require it to restart funding that has already ended.
NSF Grantees: We are aware of a Message to the NSF PI Community to all PIs regarding discretionary spending. We are awaiting further information from NSF to determine the scope of the guidance.
We reiterate the ISU Office for Research guidance provided yesterday at 11:30 AM. We are providing information as quickly as it can be verified. We appreciate your patience and will continue to post updates at www.isu.edu/research.
Jan. 28, 2025
11:30 AM MST
UPDATE: Temporary Pause to Federal Assistance Programs
The Office of Management and Budget announced that as of 3:00 PM Mountain time on 28 January 2025, “Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” See the OMB memo at: Microsoft Word - M-25-13 Temporary Pause to Review Agency Financial Assistance Programs - final_SB There is a pause on the distribution of Federal funding, except for Social Security, federal student aid (e.g., Pell grants and direct loans), and similar individual assistance programs. It is anticipated that the pause will be lifted in the next 2-3 weeks, but there are no guarantees.
We encourage a spending pause on federally-supported grants until guidance is clarified in a few weeks. ISU will continue to charge essential federally-supported expenses to appropriate indexes (e.g., salary and benefits, and time-critical materials and supplies).
ISU’s Washington DC-based team, Capitol Counsel, LLC, and trusted DC-based colleagues are following this situation very closely and keeping us apprised. We are working to determine the potential impact of the pause and to determine what, if any, potential impact ISU will experience if some federally-funded education and/or research programs are changed.
Office of Management and Budget Q&A regarding this action.
We will share verified information at www.isu.edu/research as it becomes available.
January 23, 2025
The current administration, led by President Trump, took office on January 20, 2025. Since then, several Executive Orders have been issued (White House News), which 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, the Office for Research will continue to provide you with guidance, updates, and links to relevant resources to help you navigate this evolving landscape. If you receive information that isn’t already within this page, please forward it to research@isu.edu for inclusion.
Proposals
- We will continue to submit proposals as long 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, ISU will receive an amendment for review and execution.
- 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 integrity and compliance matters related to research security/export control, IRB, IBC, IACUC, COI, and/or RCR contact chuckrizzo@isu.edu.
- 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 the Office of Sponsored Programs (x2592) or email research@isu.edu .
- 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.
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 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
Resources
- Idaho State University – Federal Update
- OMB Memo M-25-14 Recission of M-25-13 (1/29/2025)
- OMB Memorandum M-25-13 Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs (1/27/2025)
- DOE Memorandum for All DOE Funding Agreements or Awards (1/27/2025)
- APLU Overview of President Trump’s Executive Orders (1/23/2025)
- GSA Notice of intent to suspend enforcement of contractual DEI terms in existing agreements (1/23/2025)
- NASA Initial Guidance Regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Executive Orders (1/23/2025)
- DOE Agency-wide Review of Program and Administrative Activities (1/20/2025)
- Recent Executive Orders