UCR’s SAM.gov registration remains in the final stage of renewal review. We recognize the concerns of members of the research community who may be affected by this situation and continue to work diligently to secure the renewal and minimize its impact as the situation evolves. The FAQs below provide the latest guidance regarding the potential impact on federal proposals, new awards and amendments, and the drawdown of funds on existing awards. As additional guidance or updates become available, we will continue to update this information to help keep our research community informed.
For the latest updates, please refer to back to this guidance. If you have questions not addressed in the FAQs, please contact redalert@ucr.edu.
UCR's SAM.gov Registration FAQs
- What is the SAM.gov registration and how often does it need to be renewed?
The SAM.gov registration is the primary registration required for businesses, non-profits, educational institutions, local governments, and individuals seeking to do business with or receive funds from the U.S. government. SAM is an acronym for System for Award Management. The SAM registration is updated by institutions annually on their own, unique 12-month cycles. The organization must have the registration to solicit federal funds or receive federal awards.
- How has UCR historically managed the registration, and how long does it usually take to get approved?
For the past three years, the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) within RED has submitted the registration. In each of the past three years, it has taken two to three days for SAM registration to be approved.
- What happened this year? What has UCR done to resolve the situation?
UCR’s application was submitted 54 days in advance of the August 15, 2026, deadline and provided required information and documents as in prior years. (Note: When initiating a renewal application in SAM, much of the information from the previous year is pre-populated in the application). From June 22 to August 12, UCR modified its documents numerous times according to federal directives, including for requested modifications to its legal name and physical address. The amendment was then routed to the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for final approval on August 12. This final step requires manual review, and UCR’s submission remains in the review queue. UCR has coordinated throughout the review with UCOP, UCR's Office of Governmental & Community Relations, and the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), a U.S. association representing research intensive universities and institutions that focuses on research administration matters. UCR is working with its congressional delegation to prioritize its application and directly with the federal government to expedite the final step.
- Does this affect the submission of state, private, or non-profit sponsored proposals?
Non-federal proposals or incoming awards are not affected.
- Have other UC campuses been affected, too?
UCR is not aware of other UC campuses experiencing a lapse in their registrations this year. Some campuses have also been asked to address questions from the federal government about the legally registered name of their universities.
- When will the situation finally be resolved?
The timing of the resolution is controlled by the federal government. UCR and its partners are actively advocating for a resolution.
- What can faculty members do who are in the process of applying for grants?
Faculty members should continue preparing grant applications and working with their department analysts to initiate the Kuali Proposal Development (PD) process. This will help ensure proposals are ready for submission once UCR’s SAM registration is reactivated.
- What action can faculty members who have applied recently take?
If a faculty member submitted a proposal to a federal agency on or after August 17, RED will assist with contacting the federal agency once UCR’s SAM.gov registration is active. RED will request confirmation that the agency will accept the proposal after the applicable deadline and will provide a cover letter to accompany the proposal explaining the circumstances that prevented the proposal from being submitted while UCR’s SAM.gov registration was inactive.
- Is there any impact on active, previously awarded grants?
There is no impact on active grants. Projects may continue as usual, expenses may continue to be incurred and required project reports should be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award. However, projects should not draw down funds until further notice.
- How can grantees verify that current expenses are eligible for payment?
Once UCR’s SAM.gov registration is active, UCR will resume payment requests and electronic drawdowns with its federal sponsors. Faculty members should continue to follow the normal processes for managing their awards.
- What is UCR’s contingency plan if SAM.gov status is not reinstated by September 1?
If the registration remains inactive beyond September 1, RED will provide additional guidance regarding contingency measures and next steps.
- Are there alternative options for faculty to participate in federal grant proposals (e.g., subcontracts and subawards)?
While UCR’s SAM.gov registration is inactive, faculty members may participate in federal grant proposals as a subawardee or subcontractor to another institution. UCR has an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which allows it to be included as a subawardee or subcontractor on a federal proposal.
To ensure transparency with the lead institution, faculty members should inform the lead institution that UCR’s SAM.gov registration is currently inactive but that the registration is pending final approval by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) related to UCR’s CAGE review.
- How should faculty report they are not eligible to submit a planned grant?
Faculty members should send an email to redalert@ucr.edu with the Kuali PD number. This will ensure the proposal is included in the list of submissions impacted by UCR’s inactive SAM.gov registration.
Cayuse maintains a proposal History Log documenting activity associated with the proposal, including the date and time the proposal was submitted. This proposal History Log is accessible to RED and to anyone who has been granted permission to access the proposal in Cayuse.
- Will there be any actions available to compensate faculty if an appeal is not possible?
UCR will establish an internal review process led by RED, with faculty participation, to determine priorities and support levels to faculty members and whether appeals are possible. Priority will be given to proposals with submission deadlines closest to August 15. Faculty members must submit the complete proposal—including the budget, budget justification, and all other required components—to RED by the proposal deadline.
- How will RED communicate updates to faculty members?
RED will continue to communicate updates through multiple listservs, including VCRED’s Research News and the Sponsored Programs Research newsletters, as well as Academic Senate communications and other appropriate faculty listservs. If you are not subscribed to these communications, please contact redalert@ucr.edu for information on how to subscribe.
The VCRED will be glad to meet again with Academic Senate and other faculty groups as needed to provide updates and address questions.
- Whom should faculty members contact with more questions?
Please submit questions to redalert@ucr.edu. This email is monitored by SPA management. Questions will be reviewed, and responses will be provided as soon as possible.