Carnegie Mellon University
Office of the Vice President for Research  ›  Federal Updates

Federal Updates

Carnegie Mellon University’s Office of the Vice President for Research is working closely with University leadership, professional organizations and peers to understand how the guidance issued by various federal agencies may impact grants and cooperative agreements. This includes reviewing activities that may be implicated by executive orders.

The University will continue to uphold its commitment to create knowledge, drive innovation and advance national prosperity through research. It is one of the most profound ways that CMU serves society.

We have created this site to serve our faculty, staff and student investigators and ensure that we are able to provide timely updates in a rapidly changing research environment.

Guidance for CMU Investigators Federal Agency Guidance and Updates

Resources

Council on Government Relations (COGR)

CMU Communications - Letters to our Research Community

Guidance for Carnegie Mellon Investigators

If you are planning to submit a proposal:

  • Carnegie Mellon researchers are encouraged to continue to submit proposals. The federal agency submission systems are operational.
  • Sponsor proposal review timelines may be extended while federal agencies navigate pauses in specific areas.
    • There may be changes to proposal deadlines. Reconfirming deadlines is recommended
    • Confirm that the funding announcement has not been revised or postponed.
    • Consider signing up for funding alerts from the sponsor.
  • Award decisions may be delayed, so monitor program websites and FAQs for any news.
  • Recognize that NIH and NSF have temporarily paused peer review meetings so grant review and award decisions will be slower than normal.

If you are managing an active award:

  • Continue your work on federally funded research activities unless you have received a suspension, stop order order, or other award specific notice from the federal agency or your program manager directly.
    • Continuations, no cost extensions and post-award action approvals by federal agencies may be delayed or denied.
    • Review your award to ensure you understand your funding availability and reimbursement terms.
    • Closely monitor obligated budget balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future obligations. Anticipated future funding remains subject to availability of funds and should not be considered guaranteed.
    • Prioritize the submission of any technical reports or deliverables, especially those that may be past due.
  • Keep an eye on communications from your funding sponsor.
    • If PIs receive any award modifications or other notices, please forward them to the Office of the VP for Research as soon as possible at funding-questions@andrew.cmu.edu so that these can be reviewed and processed quickly.
    • Notify the Office of the VP for Research at funding-questions@andrew.cmu.edu if you received a "Stop Work" notice from a federal sponsor 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 stop work notice. In order to provide you with compliant responses please mark email Privileged Communications and the Office of General Council will monitor this inbox.
  • In collaboration with the Office of Government and Community Relations, the VC Research Office is gathering examples of impacts that recent White House Executive Orders and agency directives are having on campus research.
    • If you experience interruptions to your research, please submit them to us at funding-questions@andrew.cmu.edu In order to provide you with compliant responses please mark email Privileged Communications and the Office of General Council will monitor this inbox.

Federal Agency Guidance and Updates

Executive Actions

Federal Agency Guidance

  • Payment Management System (PMS) Payment Delays Due to Executive Orders – 1/27/2025
    • Effective immediately, PMS is only available during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday. The limited hours are in effect until a further notice.
    • PAYMENT DELAYS: Due to Executive Orders regarding potentially unallowable grant payments, PMS is taking additional measures to process payments. Reviews of applicable programs and payments will result in delays and/or rejections of payments.
  • NIJ has cancelled all previously posted Notices of Funding Opportunity and associated webinars. 1/27/2025