A federal government shutdown began on October 1, 2025. This page is intended to provide updates and guidance to faculty and staff who have or are seeking federal funding, and how this shutdown may affect their federally sponsored research program. Please check back regularly for updates.
Each federal agency is handling the shutdown differently. The points below summarize guidance from each agency’s published contingency plan and are provided for reference only. If you have questions about your federally funded grant, contact your SPO office.
In general, projects should continue unless you receive specific instructions from your federal or pass-through sponsor.
General Guidance
- Keep your project up and running unless notified otherwise.
- Follow all posted deadlines and requirements for new or renewal proposals to the best of your ability. Deadlines may be revised by federal agencies once the shutdown ends.
- New and continuing awards will be delayed, which may affect employment start dates tied to these awards. Use caution when making employment commitments.
- Federal review of regulatory submissions, such as Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approvals, could delay project initiation.
- Grants.gov will remain operational; however, there may be limited staff to help depending on the agency.
- Federal employees will not be traveling to reviews or conferences and meetings or other events scheduled with federal agency employees are likely to be interrupted.
Agency-Specific Guidance
Use the following links to jump to updates for the corresponding agency:
- Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
- Dept. of Commerce (DOC)
- Dept. of Defense (DOD)
- Dept. of Education (ED)
- Dept. of Energy (DOE)
- Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Dept. of Transportation (DOT)
- Dept. of Justice (DOJ)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Shutdown Contingency Plan
- Operations at USDA Research, Education, and Economics units (including ARS, ERS, and NIFA) will be reduced except for the preservation of human and animal life and limited other exceptions.
- NIFA will cease all program activity and will operate with very reduced staff.
- USDA will cease operations related to (among other functions) payment processing and contracts and agreements not related to exempted programs.
Department of Commerce (DOC)
- The Department of Commerce will cease operations related to most research activities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- During a lapse, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Program Office (CPO) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) employees in other operating units who are required to support CPO will continue normal operations utilizing funding provided for by the CHIPS Act of 2022.
Department of Defense (DoD)
- Work may continue under existing contracts and payments for contracts under prior year funds will continue.
- Conditions: no access to government facilities, no active administration by government personnel, no use of government resources in manner that would cause new obligations on government
- New contracts may not be executed nor may increments of funding be placed on incrementally funded contracts.
Department of Education (ED)
- Grantees will continue to be able to draw funds on existing awards, for at least the first week of a shutdown.
- No new grantmaking (except for programs with mandatory or advance funds)
Department of Energy (DOE)
- DOE components will continue to operate until prior year balances are exhausted. Certain activities will be limited.
- Performance under existing contracts and other funding instruments (including grants) will continue.
- The Bonneville Power Administration is self-funding and will continue normal operations.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- HHS payment systems will remain operational for grant payments for excepted programs.
- HHS will provide further guidance to grant community in case of shutdown.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- No grant reviews etc., no new awards, no program management activities
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Payments may continue for awards under prior funding.
- No new grants will be made except for certain excepted functions (e.g., life and property).
Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT has not yet made a September 2025 shutdown contingency plan publicly available.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Grant administration activities will continue with reduced staffing levels as long as sufficient carryover funds remain.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- No new obligations for grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts.
- Work under grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts can continue.
- Current grantees can make drawdowns using the Automated Standard Application Payment (ASAP) system but drawdowns requiring EPA staff interaction may be limited.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA Shutdown Contingency Plan
- Work under contracts, grants, etc. for which funds were obligate prior to the lapse in appropriations can continue, provided such work does not require NASA facilities, oversight, or other input from NASA staff.
- New contracts, grants, etc. will not be made except in limited circumstances.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Work under existing grants may continue during their current performance periods.
- Award Cash Management Service (ACM$) will be available to process valid payments from prior obligations.
- No new grants, continuing grant increments, cooperative agreements, or contracts will be awarded.
- No new funding opportunities will be issued.
- Proposal preparations and submission systems will remain available for use, but proposals will not be processed until normal operations resume.