Guidance for Federally Funded Research Activities

Page last updated: January 7, 2026

The Office of the Vice President for Research established this page to provide the Iowa State Research community with timely updates and guidance on executive priorities and their impact on federally funded research.

Here, you will find:

• The most current federal agency communications;
• Guidance from the OVPR team; and
• Information from key external resources including the Council on Government Relations (COGR), the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), and the American Council on Education (ACE).

If you are a principal investigator (PI) needing tailored guidance on a specific matter – such as a project termination, stop-work order, or agency request for details about your budget – please email fedfunds2025@iastate.edu. Please include the following information in your message: your name; sponsoring agency; project number; and situation in question.

Agency Communications

Agencies have provided periodic updates on changing federal priorities and research funding since late January 2025. The communications Iowa State has received are sorted below by agency. The OVPR will add to this collection as new updates are received. If you have received an agency communication that you believe is relevant to the broader campus research community, that is not included here, please email it to dank@iastate.edu.

Modify Proposals to Meet Changing Requirements

As a principal investigator (PI), lean on guidance from the professional organizations that represent your discipline and scholarly interests. Most important, carefully review the most current RFPs from your funding agencies and be sure your project proposals adhere to their requirements, language, and standards.

General Guidance

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.
• Sponsor RFPs may also change during this timeframe. Please check the RFP for revisions before submitting your proposal. OSPA will do all we can to review/assess changes.
• There may be changes to proposal deadlines. Reconfirm that the RFP (proposal funding opportunity announcement) has not been revised or postponed. Monitor sponsor portals, grants.gov, and emails for updates.
• To date, three federal agencies have attempted to decrease the negotiated F&A rate for grants: the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). You can find specific details for each agency in the agency communications section below. To date, the attempts to lower these rates have been halted through court actions. Guidance: Continue to use the ISU-posted negotiated F&A rates when preparing proposals. (5/2/25)

Awards

• The terms and conditions of your executed award remain enforceable so long as your award is active. If there is a change to your award, OSPA or OIPTT will receive notice or an amendment for review and execution.
• We anticipate updates to award Research Compliance and/or 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. Please forward any notifications you receive to fedfunds2025@iastate.edu.  It is crucial to act swiftly to ensure compliance with any new requirements, as failure to do so could jeopardize funding.
• 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. OSPA or OIPTT will pass this along promptly if/when received.
• Issuance of subawards by OSPA/OIPTT from federal funding sources will be paused until the federal agency has completed their analysis of their federal financial assistance programs.
• If a program or initiative is reduced or defunded, there could be delays or pauses in payments for existing projects under those programs. While this is rare, it may occur if funding for a program is rescinded or redirected.
• Should a stop work order be issued for an existing project, the PI will be notified promptly. If the PI receives a stop work order directly, please forward it to fedfunds2025@iastate.edu for review and coordination.

Awards – What to do

• Review your sponsored project agreement. Ensure you understand the terms, especially clauses related to funding availability and termination.
• Closely monitor obligated and unspent balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future funding. Anticipated future funding remains subject to availability of funds and is not guaranteed.

• Review your grant proposal and contract. If you have any DEI activities in your grant/contract, contact fedfunds2025@iastate.edu for assistance.

• Communicate with the Program Officer. Stay in touch with your Program Officer to confirm there are no changes affecting your award.
• Reports and deliverables: prioritize submission of any technical reports or deliverables that are due or past due.