This webpage serves as UCR's centralized location for the current advisory regarding federal funding.

The Impact Of A Government Shutdown On Federally Funded Sponsored Research

Effective October 1, 2025, the federal government was shut down due to a lapse in funding. The following proposal and award guidance is issued to UCR Principal Investigators (“PIs”) and Departments that currently have, or apply for, federal funding:

Proposals 

• Grants.gov remains operation; however, their administrative system support activities will be significantly reduced. 
  • Reminder – UCR requires the use of Cayuse Proposal (S2S) as the submission portal for proposals that are sent to Grants.gov. Exceptions:
    • UCR encourages the use of the National Science Foundation (NSF) eRA system, Research.gov, for the submission of proposals to NSF.
    • UCR will permit the use of the National Institute of Health (NIH) eRA system, ASSIST, only in those instances when NIH will not allow the use of Grants.gov as alternative eRA system. (Typically, NIH will permit proposals to be submitted through either ASSIST or Grants.gov. In such cases, UCR requires the use of Cayuse Proposal to send proposals to Grants.gov.)
• NSF is closed; however, NSF will continue to accept proposals in accordance with published guidelines.
  • NSF has issued shutdown guidance (see https://www.nsf.gov/shutdown) on NSF IT systems availability (e.g., Research.gov) and policy direction for panelists, proposers, and recipients. Proposals and ad hoc reviews can be submitted, grant payments will be made, and the IT Service Desk is open. Please continue to watch the NSF shutdown site for changes to NSF's operating status and, if necessary, general instructions for recipients.
• NIH is closed and the eRA service desk is not operational; however, NIH will continue to accept proposals in accordance with published guidelines. (Note: In the event the proposal submission results in an error, PI’s will need to work with their RED Officer to troubleshoot the error and submit a changed/corrected application to ensure the proposal passes validation and is assigned an Application ID in eRA Commons. If the error cannot be resolved, an eRA service desk ticket should be submitted to document the issue. NIH will take this into consideration for accepting late applications when operations resume.)

UCR Proposal Deadline Reminder. Principal Investigators are requested to strictly adhere to the Research and Economic Development (RED) established lead times for submitting proposals which require all proposal documents, in final form, be submitted to Sponsored Programs Administration (via the Kuali Proposal Development module) at least two (2) full business days before the sponsor’s submission deadline to ensure timely proposal submission.
 

Awards

• 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.
• Spending on awards or award modifications not yet received (new, continuing, or renewal) becomes the decision and risk of the PI's department. In the event spending is needed for these awards or award modifications, a PreAward Spending Request may be submitted through the normal channels.
  • Note: RED will not be able to obtain a firm commitment, as federal agencies are closed or working with limited staffing. The department should consider this in their risk analysis before requesting PreAward spending approval.
• Spending may continue if the award has already been received, barring receipt of a Stop Work Notice, a Notice of Termination, or other such notification from the sponsor.
  • PIs and Departments should immediately notify their RED Officer if they receive any such notification directly from the sponsor.
• The ability to draw down on federal funds will depend on the agency and the system the agency uses.

In addition to the above proposal and award guidance, please refer to UCOP ‘s Federal Government Shutdown website for further important information and updates, including links to Agency-specific Contingency Plans for the Federal Government shutdown.

If you have any questions regarding specific proposals or awards, please contact the RED Officer for your department.

UCR Guidance Re: Federal Certifications and Acknowledgements

In light of the changing funding landscape taking place among the federal agencies, the office of Research and Economic Development (RED) wants to ensure that you take the appropriate steps when you receive certain communications from these agencies regarding your award or project. Many federal agencies are sending out letters or other forms of communication asking for certification and/or acknowledgment (i) of grant compliance with Executive Orders (EOs); or (ii) that certain project activities have ceased in accordance with specific EOs. Do not sign these certifications.

Instead, please contact REDalert@ucr.edu. Certifications such as these require institutional signatories, and those individuals, known as Authorized Organizational Representatives or AORs, can be found in RED’s office of Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA). AORs will work with our campus leadership and campus counsel to determine an appropriate and timely response.

If you have any other related questions or concerns, please contact your RED Officer.

Message from the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development

We share in our PIs' and faculty's concerns about the current situation related to EOs and their impact on research activities and funding. The situation remains fluid and may change at any time. If you receive specific instructions from a funding agency, please contact REDalert@ucr.edu.

We will continue to keep our research community informed as additional guidelines are established. UCOP has developed a website with periodic updates about the situation, and we encourage you to visit it at UCOP Federal Updates, where further information about UC’s guidelines and university values is posted.

Thank you for your continued efforts in our research and engagement enterprise as we navigate these difficult times.