Responding to 2025 White House Executive Orders and Agency Directives

UPDATED: 10/1/25

Since January 2025, many federal agencies have updated their policies and solicitations in response to White House Executive Orders and evolving agency communications. UC Berkeley and UCOP continue to monitor these changes intensively. 

Please review the Federal Updates provided by the UC Office of the President (UCOP), as well as UC Berkeley’s Federal Updates. These sites cover not just research funding but also other topics that affect our community.

October Federal Government Shutdown Guidance

The new federal fiscal year started on October 1st, and without the passage of appropriations bills or a Continuing Resolution, the federal government has shut down. Most federal employees, including those in research funding agencies, will not be working while the shutdown lasts.

Key Points:

  • A shutdown does not mean you must immediately stop work on federally funded projects (unless you receive a "stop-work order," which is not expected).
  • The campus will manage cash flows so research can continue in the immediate term.
  • Grant payments, new funding, and agency communications will be stalled during the shutdown.
  • SPO will continue to submit proposals to federal sponsors in the normal manner to the extent proposal submission systems (Grants.gov, NSPIRES, etc.) are operable.
  • SPO will process/negotiate awards already received that do not require interaction with sponsor personnel or access to electronic systems that are not available during the shutdown period.
  • In case of a Federal Government Shutdown on October 1, the White House had asked each agency to develop an Agency Contingency Plan. UCOP has collected links to those plans on this Federal Government Shutdowns page.
     

Immediate Actions for Principal Investigators:

  • Check in with postdocs/graduate students on direct federal fellowships, as their payments will be affected;
  • Review current balances on your federal awards and other sources of funding, to understand what flexibility you may have in case of a prolonged shutdown;
  • Forward any stop-work order notices to spoawards@berkeley.edu for guidance.
  • Watch for any revised proposal deadlines.


Resources for Postdocs and Graduate Students Paid Directly:

Postdocs and Graduate Students who receive fellowship funding directly from federal agencies should expect not to receive payments during a shutdown.

What to Expect During a Shutdown:

In a shutdown, the administration, distribution, and funding of federal grants and contracts will be impacted. While it is important to note that each federal agency will have its own unique procedures and protocols, as well as issuing its own contingency plans, we can generally expect the following:

  • Agencies will be prohibited from signing new grants or contracts.
  • Funding agency staff may be prohibited from accessing their email or responding to phone calls, meaning that they will not be able to respond to any inquiries received, including about upcoming deadlines, proposal preparation and applications. Grant payments to the campus will be stalled.
  • The review process for proposals will be delayed, although deadlines may still be enforced unless an agency posts alternate instructions. We encourage you to continue submitting proposals for federal funding opportunities.
  • No new funding increments, including Continuing Grant Increments (CGIs), will be awarded. Supplemental funding proposals will not be processed or awarded until normal operations resume.
  • No-cost extensions will likely not be processed until normal agency operations resume; federal funds cannot be obligated for expenses that occur beyond the award end date.
  • Graduate students and postdocs who are paid directly by a federal agency should expect not to receive payments during the shutdown, and may need assistance.
  • While rare, a federal contract or federal flow-through subcontract may receive an official stop-work order notice pursuant to the federal shutdown. These would require UC Berkeley and its subcontractors to stop work on the affected projects until further notice. Please forward any stop-work order notices to spoawards@berkeley.edu for guidance.
  • Principal Investigators (PIs) should be able to (and should continue to) submit annual and final project reports and Project Outcomes Reports via the relevant agency portal, such as Research.gov.
  • SPO will continue to submit proposals to federal sponsors in the normal manner to the extent proposal submission systems (Grants.gov, NSPIRES, etc.) are operable.
  • SPO will process/negotiate awards already received that do not require interaction with sponsor personnel or access to electronic systems that are not available during the shutdown period.
  • Once the shutdown is lifted, there will still be delays as the federal government resumes its operations. Do not expect grants and contracts to be immediately issued the day or week after the shutdown ends. Expect that agency staff will have many inquiries to respond to, and will likely take time to get back to you.
  • We expect that most visa processing services will continue to function because they are fee-based and thus not subject to the shutdown. If you are planning to submit any new cases please contact the Berkeley International Office as soon as possible.

Resources for More Information:

Please submit questions to the VC Research Federal Impacts form.

We will provide updates as the situation evolves, and federal agencies release their contingency plans.
 

UC Berkeley Emergency Research Fund for investigators receiving terminations or stop work orders

Like all universities across the U.S., UC Berkeley has received numerous notifications of award cancellations from federal agencies, affecting investigators and research across the campus. Chancellor Lyons and EVCP Hermalin have established an Emergency Research Fund, to be administered by the Vice Chancellor for Research Office in collaboration with deans, to assist affected investigators in mitigating the impact of these cancellations. 

Emergency Fund background, guidelines and process (rev 5/19/25)

This document will be updated periodically, with all changes clearly noted. We will be working on an FAQ as questions come in.

If you have questions about the Emergency Research Fund, please contact vcr@berkeley.edu.


Longer Term Research Continuity Planning

In addition to termination of awards, many investigators are starting to experience other impacts, such as the cancellation of anticipated federal funding opportunities, or loss of anticipated awards that may have scored highly in pre-January 2025 review sessions. Indeed the future federal landscape at UC Berkeley and nationally remains highly uncertain.

The Provost has convened a working group of campus administrators and Academic Senate representatives to jointly develop recommendations for a longer-term contingency research fund to address possible future scenarios. 


For Principal Investigators and Their Teams: What You Can Do

Pre-submission and pre-award:

  • The VCRO and SPO advise PIs and RAs who are working on federal proposals to continue with your normal process for proposal submissions until further notice, and to consult with your SPO Contract and Grant Officer (CGO) for guidance.
  • As proposal deadlines approach, check program websites and solicitations for any updates on due dates or requirements to ensure that your proposal is compliant.
  • Award decisions may be delayed, so monitor program websites and FAQs for any news.
  • Consider signing up for alerts from the agencies you apply to. Also sign up for Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) news and updates.


Existing awards:

  • Continue to work on your grants and contracts unless you are notified directly by the agency or SPO. Do not stop work only on the basis of rumor or internal agency guidance. Agencies are required to notify us if there will be changes to your funding once the grant or contract is in place.
  • Be mindful that no cost extensions may be delayed, or may not be approved, so spend accordingly. This applies to spending beyond the end of currently-approved NIH non-competitive award periods.
  • Try to remain in contact with your program officers, but be aware that some may have a pause on communications.
  • Monitor policy updates from the federal agency overseeing your grant for any updates on funding or compliance requirements. See also the COGR resource page linked in the right panel.
  • If PIs or RAs receive any award modifications or other notices, please forward them to SPO as soon as possible at spoawards@berkeley.edu so that these can be reviewed and processed quickly. In particular, notify spoawards@berkeley.edu if you receive a stop work order for an award. A stop work order typically means that all project work needs to stop immediately and no expenses can be incurred on the project as of the effective date of the notice.
  • Closely monitor obligated budget balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future obligations. Anticipated funding remains subject to availability of funds and should not be considered guaranteed.
  • Continue to meet existing deadlines for technical reports or other deliverables.
  • If you have questions about your awards, please contact your SPO Contract and Grant Officer.
     

If you experience interruptions to your research, please submit them to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research through this form.

At a glance

UC Berkeley Emergency Research Fund (rev 5/19/25)

Other useful sources of information include: