How the Federal Shutdown Affects Sponsored Research

Updates from our friends in Sponsored Programs and the VPR

During a recent update from the Office of Sponsored Programs, Laura Kozma, Associate Vice President for Research Operations and Executive Director of Sponsored Programs, shared how the ongoing federal shutdown and related government activity are influencing UVA’s sponsored research.

The good news:

• Payments are still coming through. Federal drawdowns are continuing as usual, meaning UVA is still being reimbursed for grant expenses.
• Cash flow remains stable. The University’s twice-monthly draw schedule hasn’t been disrupted, and most agencies’ systems are still operational.

Areas to watch:

• No new federal awards are being issued during the shutdown. A short closure has limited impact, but the longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the potential delay in issuing new awards once federal staff return.
• Proposal reviews may be delayed. Even though proposal submissions continue, review panels and award recommendations are paused in some cases.
• Stop-work orders have been received for a few federal contracts, requiring an immediate halt to work and reallocation of personnel to other projects or non-sponsored accounts.
• Terminations and appeals continue to be processed, and OSP is working closely with General Counsel to ensure compliance while protecting UVA’s interests.

Overall, UVA remains financially stable through the shutdown, though research teams could see delays in new awards and federal processing times once operations resume.

More Information

• For more information, visit the Office of the Vice President for Research or the VPR’s Federal Updates page.
• Have questions on how this relates to Accounts Payable? Reach out to us at askfinance@virginia.edu.