黑洞社区

The following are some recent executive orders that may have implications for 黑洞社区 sponsored research activity. The University is in the process of closely reviewing the details of these executive orders to understand their potential impact. We are committed to keeping you informed as we learn more. Updates will be shared on this website as soon as we have additional clarity or guidance to provide.

• January 28, 2025 鈥� Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance (M-25-13). This Executive Order was rescinded by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on January 29, 2025. On January 31, 2025, a Federal Court issued a (TRO) directing Federal grant-making agencies to 鈥溾��not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate . . . awards and obligations.鈥� While this prohibition means that federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, cancel or terminate any federal awards based on EO M-25-13, agencies can exercise their own authority to pause awards or obligations at their own discretion.
• January 21, 2025 鈥�
• January 20, 2025 鈥�
• January 20, 2025 鈥�
• January 20, 2025 鈥�

You should not reach out to the sponsoring agency directly with questions.  Any communications with sponsoring agencies must be through the responsible Office of Research, as 黑洞社区鈥檚 authorized organizational representative.

• If your award is supportedby the Academic Office of Research, please reach out to postaward@wichita.edu.
• If your award is supported by the IDP Office of Research, please reach out to contracts@idp.wichita.edu. 
• If you are not sure, please feel free to reach out to either office for additional guidance on which office supports your award.
• Any communications with sponsoring agencies must include the responsible Office of Research, as 黑洞社区鈥檚 authorized organizational representative.

• We will continue to submit proposals as federal agency submissions systems are operational.
• There may be changes to proposal requirements, limitations, or deadlines in response to executive orders and/or agency guidelines.
• Expect that any DEIA or green energy-related aspects will be removed from solicitations. Do not include these components in your proposal without specific direction from the sponsor.
• Sponsor proposal review timelines may be delayed as federal agencies navigate pauses and/or restrictions on federal assistance funding.
• If you are working on a proposal, please reach out directly to your responsible Office of Research.

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Activities
• Green Energy Initiatives

• Federal agencies have issued notices to immediately cease all DEIA activities tied to federal assistance awards. See . The recent court orders do not change our obligation to cease these activities.
• Affected activities include but are not limited to: DEIA/Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) plan requirements; training and reporting; staffing considerations; and other direct or indirect award activities.
• You must stop all DEIA-related activities on your federal assistance awards immediately.
• Expenditures must not be incurred for DEIA purposes.
• Determine whether you have already spent funds on DEIA activities and immediately report those expenditures to the responsible Office of Research.
• Ensure that funds previously allocated for DEIA activities remain unspent and are not reallocated to other budget categories.

• Unless you have received a stop-work order from your federal sponsor or your award is impacted by the recent Executive Orders, keep doing your research. The terms and conditions of your executed award are still enforceable as long as your award is active.
• Be advised that expenditures under programs impacted by the recent Executive Orders may be disallowed by the sponsor and new commitments should proceed with caution. Alternative funding sources will need to be identified for any expenditures disallowed or not reimbursed by the sponsor.
• If you receive any communication 鈥� whether written or verbal 鈥� from your sponsoring agency and/or program officer, please immediately forward that communication to the responsible Office of Research for further review and guidance on next steps.
• If the Office of Research receives any notices related to, and/or amendments of, current active awards, those notices / amendments will be reviewed by the Office of Research and shared with you.
• Notwithstanding, it is important that you, and other key personnel, take time to refamiliarize yourself with the terms and conditions of any current awards. This includes reviewing things like statements of work, periods of performance, research compliance requirements, reporting requirements, travel, procurements, issuance of subawards, funding availability and reimbursement, etc. The Offices of Research are working to identify all grants that may be impacted, but it is ultimately your responsibility to know the requirements and obligations of your award(s).
• If you have any questions or concerns about the terms of your current award(s), please reach out to the responsible Office of Research. Any communications with sponsoring agencies must include the responsible Office of Research, as 黑洞社区's authorized organizational representative.

• We anticipate updates to compliance requirements for research awards.
• These updates could include modifications to  things like reporting requirements, procurement requirements, conflict of interest disclosure and reporting, responsible conduct of research requirements, etc. These updates could be implemented directly by a federal agency for all awards issued by the agency or may be implemented on a project-specific basis.
• If you receive any communication 鈥� whether written or verbal 鈥� from your sponsoring agency and/or program officer regarding research compliance requirements, please immediately forward that communication to the responsible Office of Research for further review and guidance on next steps.
• It is crucial that you and the University act quickly to ensure compliance with any new requirements. Failure to do so could jeopardize current and future funding.

• Prioritize the submission of any technical reports or deliverables that may be past due to ensure requests for payment or reimbursement are with the appropriate federal agency.
• We anticipate updates to reporting requirements.
• These updates could be implemented directly by a federal agency for all awards issued by the agency or may be implemented on a project-specific basis.
• If you receive any communication 鈥� whether written or verbal 鈥� from your sponsoring agency and/or program officer regarding reporting requirements, please immediately forward that communication to the responsible Office of Research for further review and guidance on next steps.
• It is crucial that you and the University act quickly to ensure compliance with any new reporting requirements. Failure to do so could jeopardize current and future funding.

• Closely monitor obligated budget balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future funding obligations. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ANTICIPATED FUTURE FUNDING 鈥� EVEN IF SUCH FUNDING IS IN YOUR AWARD 鈥� REMAINS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND AT THE FEDERAL AGENCY鈥橲 DISCRETION AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED GUARANTEED. All future procurements are subject to current Executive Orders and agency guidance.
• If you need to procure equipment, materials, or supplies, and funds have currently been obligated by the federal agency, you are able to make the purchase in accordance with all award requirements.
• If you have a procurement that is in process, review the terms and conditions of the agreement with the responsible Office of Research for cancellation provisions and upcoming payment milestones.
• If a procurement agreement is being negotiated, work closely with the responsible Office of Research to ensure the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement align with the current funding availability and uncertainty of future funding.

• Keep in mind that travel may be suspended by federal agencies at any time for any reason.
• If you have already made travel arrangements using obligated and approved funds, and the trip is critical to your award, you may proceed.
• If you haven鈥檛 already made travel arrangements and/or if the trip is not critical to your award, you are advised to refrain from traveling until further guidance is received to ensure that the federal agency will still support travel under your award.
• As a reminder, all travel (federally-sponsored and otherwise) must comply with 黑洞社区 Policy 13.20 (Out-of-State Travel) and all approvals must be received before making any travel arrangements.

• If you receive a stop-work order, immediately stop all award activities as specific in the order.
• Specific requirements of a stop-work order will vary. In some instances, the order may be broad and require immediate suspension of all activities on a project. In other instances, the order may be more tailored and apply to only specific activities.
• Immediately forward the stop-work order to the responsible Office of Research for further review and guidance on next steps.
• Only eligible costs incurred up to the date of the stop-work order will be reimbursable.
• Retain all records and communications related to the project for audit and closeout purposes.
• Any communications with sponsoring agencies must be through the responsible Office of Research, as 黑洞社区鈥檚 authorized organizational representative.

• If you receive a notice of award suspension or termination, immediately stop all award activities as specified in the notice.
• Immediately forward the notice to the responsible Office of Research for further review and guidance on next steps.
• Only eligible costs incurred up to the date of the stop-work order will be reimbursable.
• Retain all records and communications related to the project for audit and closeout purposes.
• Any communications with sponsoring agencies must be through the responsible Office of Research, as 黑洞社区鈥檚 authorized organizational representative.

• Subrecipients / subawards are also subject to the Executive Orders.
• If you receive any communication or inquiries from a subrecipient, please direct those inquiries and communications to the responsible Office of Research.
• The responsible Office of Research will notify current subrecipients about any updates to their portion of a federal award.
• The notification may include, but is not limited to updates regarding research compliance requirements, reporting requirements, continuation of work, delays in funding, etc.

• Given potential funding shifts and restrictions, we urge caution when making new hiring decisions for research projects that rely on federal funding.
• Until more clarity emerges regarding long-term federal research priorities, you are encouraged to work with the responsible Office of Research and Human Resources prior to making any hiring decisions to:

• • Assess award stability 鈥� verify that current funding is secure and that future funding is not at risk under new federal policies; and
  • Consider employment status 鈥� ensure that any new hire is properly categorized as a contingent hire (see 黑洞社区 Policy 6.04 (Appointment Statuses)).

• On January 20, 2025, DOE issued indicating that, until further notice, there will be delays in funding actions.
• On January 31, 2025, DOE issued a immediately ending the requirement for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plans, Community Benefits Plans (CBP), and Justice40-related activities.
• Recipients and subrecipients must cease any activities, including contracted activities, and stop incurring costs associated with DEI and CBP activities effective as of the date of this letter for all DOE grants, cooperative agreements, loans, loan guarantees, cost sharing agreements, or other DOE funding of any kind.
• Costs incurred after the date of this letter will not be reimbursed.
• Additional guidance will be forthcoming.
• Recipients who have DEI and CBP activities in their awards will be contacted by their Grants Officer to initiate award modifications consistent with this Order.

• NASA has issued a mandating the closure of all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives.
• This directive follows executive orders aimed at ending DEIA programs across federal agencies.
• The memo requires all NASA contractors and grantees to cease DEIA activities required by their contracts or grants.

• As of February 2, 2025, access to the Award Cash Management Service (ACM$) has been restored and the system is available to accept payment requests as of 12:00 PM ET on February 2, 2025.
• See NSF鈥檚 for the most up-to-date status of NSF awards.

• In accordance with Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, USAID is all new obligations of funding, and sub-obligations of funding under Development objective Agreements (DOAGs), pending review of foreign assistance programs funded by USAID.
• This pause includes all program accounts (鈥淭itle III鈥�) but excludes Operating Expenses and Capital Investment Fund Account (鈥淭itle II鈥�).
• USAID will immediately issue stop-work orders, amend, or suspend existing awards, consistent with the terms and conditions of the relevant award.