Extramural Funding Update 1/28/2025

Please see the following email sent via UH announce on 1/28/2025 at 11:30am by Vice President for Research and Innovation regarding the impacts of the OMB memo regarding federal grants and loans:

Yesterday, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued memorandum directing federal agencies to temporarily pause grants, loans and other financial assistance programs. As a result , several agencies have stopped payments or have implemented freezes on drawdowns.

While this OMB memo is concerning to the University of Hawai`i and every institution of higher education in the country, it is important for all of us to act cautiously during this uncertain time. The freeze on drawdowns does not necessarily imply a stop work order. Programs with stop work orders should immediately contact Victoria Rivera, Assistant Vice President for Research Administration and Compliance, at riveravg@hawaii.edu.

We would like to give our federal agencies a day or two to provide us with guidance on their sponsored programs. I know that most federal agencies (NSF, NIH, NASA, and others) have been meeting this morning to assess the situation and to provide their recommendations for existing grants, issuance of new awards and the grant review process. Some agencies have taken down notices of funding opportunities and others have cancelled peer review meetings. At the same time, we are working closely with our federal agencies, APLU, and our Hawai`i congressional delegation to better understand and mitigate the impacts of this OMB action. We have also been in contact with Governor Green’s Office to communicate the problems that this executive order has put upon UH.

In light of the current situation, it is strongly recommended that any spending at this time be limited and any decisions on future spending should be made judiciously and conservatively until further notice.

To stay informed and up to date on developments in this ever-evolving situation, please go to the New Administration Federal Funding Updates web page on the OVPRI website.

Sincerely,

Vassilis L. Syrmos

Vice President for Research and Innovation