Federal Updates

University faculty, students,  WVU Extension agents, administrators and others have made 14 trips to Washington since February to advocate for federal funding for WVU research with members of the state’s congressional delegation, and Associate Vice President for Research Development  Sheena Murphy with the  WVU Research Office said those efforts will continue.

“Throughout the visits to the delegation, people from President Gordon Gee to our undergraduate students have been sharing the critical need for continued support of programs that include scientific research as well as 4-H and student aid. They’re ensuring our representatives are informed about the impact of federal support on the research we do here and on our communities,” Murphy said.

“Most of the federal funding WVU receives goes to staff and student salaries, so not only does it drive the University’s research effort, it also stays local,” she added. “Because those dollars end up reaching small local businesses like grocery stores and restaurants, cuts to WVU research funding will be felt by the local and state economy. We’re aware of those ripple effects and are working to convey to the delegation the full repercussions of changes to federal research funding.”

Selected recent outreach efforts include:

• Ming Lei, vice dean of research,  WVU Health Sciences School of Medicine, joined by research officers of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Marshall University, advocating for robust funding for the National Institutes of Health Institutional Development Award and Established Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research under the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Defense and Department of Agriculture.   

• Pedro Mago, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the  WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, as part of the American Society of Engineering Education annual meeting, advocating for NSF, DOD and other science agency support. 

• Members of the  WVU Student Government Association advocating for support for college affordability, student mental health and food insecurity, including SGA Vice President  Abigail Browning, Legislative Affairs Officer  Logan Pierce and At-large Senator  Shelby Davis.

• Melanie Page, associate vice president for creative and scholarly activities, WVU Research Office, advocating for NASA Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR support for education, research and public outreach activities in space, aeronautics and earth system sciences, and sharing those programs’ impacts on learners from K-12 to graduate education.

• WVU Industrial Extension representatives  Staci Miller, director, and  David Carrick, associate director, as part of the American Small Manufacturers Association, advocating for funding support in helping West Virginia small and medium-sized manufacturers thrive.

• A coalition of representatives from WVU Extension, 4-H and the  WVU Small Farm Center shared the impact of Smith-Lever funds on every county in West Virginia, including  Jorge Atiles, associate vice president and dean of the  WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement and others. 

• Members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes advocating for National Cancer Institute funding for advancements in cancer prevention, detection and treatment, including  Dr. Hannah W. Hazard-Jenkins, executive chair and director,  WVU Cancer Institute. 

• An undergraduate student group supported by the  WVU Office of Undergraduate Research and the  WVU ASPIRE Office, sharing the probable impacts recommended funding cuts could have on undergraduate researchers’ futures, including biomedical engineering student  Christopher Smith, from Point Pleasant, a Goldwater Scholar and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow; data science student  Grady King, from Morgantown, a Goldwater Scholar; and biology student Ella Moats, from Morgantown, a Goldwater nominee.

These visits supplement the overall advocacy work of the  WVU Office of Federal Relations, based in Washington, which is in constant contact with the West Virginia delegation offices on a wide range of federal funding, policy and legislative matters of importance to the University.

The Office of Federal Relations also works closely on strategy and advocacy with other higher education organizations, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Department of Defense

On 05/14/25, the Department of Defense issued a memorandum stating its intent to implement a cap on IDC rates at 15% for all new awards and has charged units to complete renegotiations or terminations for all previous contracts to higher ed institutions with the new rate within 180 days. This action has not yet been challenged in court.

National Science Foundation

On 05/05/25, the National Science Foundation capped IDC rates at 15% for all new awards. This cap does not apply to existing awards. The NSF has agreed to stay the implementation of the new rate through June 13, the date of the hearing.  In the interim, WVU will continue submitting proposal budgets with our previously negotiated rate and has been supplying additional documentation that WVU will abide by rates in effect if the submission results in an award.

Department of Energy

On 4/11/25, the Department of Energy capped IDC rates for new and existing awards at 15%. This cap was challenged resulting in a temporary restraining order which has now been made a preliminary injunction which maintains the pre-existing negotiated rates until a further order is issued by the Court.

National Institutes of Health

On 02/07/25, the National Institutes of Health capped IDC rates for new and existing awards at 15%. This cap was challenged in federal court eventually resulting in a permanent block on the rate change, but that decision is under appeal by the federal government. At present, WVU is submitting proposal budgets and invoicing existing awards under the pre-existing negotiated rate.

WVU Science and Research Advocacy

With all the recent developments in federal funding, it’s understandable that the WVU research community may wish to advocate for science with the West Virginia delegation and on Capitol Hill. We strongly encourage you to coordinate any advocacy efforts through our Federal Relations liaison, Suzanne Bentzel.

A unified, consistent message is critical––we cannot afford to dilute our advocacy. By working through the Federal Relations office, you’ll have access to accurate statistics, tailored talking points, and strategic guidance to ensure your message resonates. This coordination also helps the Federal Relations team stay informed and continue follow-up engagement on your behalf.

Indeed, the Research Office and college leadership have already made several advocacy visits to the Hill in recent weeks, with additional meetings scheduled with the delegation this week. We encourage you to partner with us as we present the strongest possible case for sustained support of the scientific enterprise.

VPR King shared the University delegation's focused strategy for dealing with new agency developments. You can hear his comments at the most recent faculty senate meeting starting at minute 52. As always, you are welcome to reach out to the Research Office and AVPs Sheena Murphy and Melanie Page with any questions or recommendations related to external funding challenges.

NSF Indirects Proposal Guidance

The National Science Foundation has imposed a rate cap on F&A on new submissions. This policy does not apply retroactively to existing awards. The cap has been challenged in federal court, and WVU is awaiting further action. In the interim, OSP recommends that new NSF budgets (like NIH and DoE ones before) are developed and submitted with WVU’s existing F&A rate.  New proposals will include documentation stating that, if funded, WVU will comply with the regulations in effect at the time of the award to ensure submission compliance.

Annual Reporting Recommendations for All Agencies

Given current and anticipated shifts in federal funding, annual progress reports are likely to receive increased scrutiny. What may once have been considered a routine task is now becoming a critical opportunity to demonstrate value and impact. It is essential to meet reporting deadlines and to craft reports that clearly and compellingly communicate the project's progress and significance. Whenever possible, aim to convert manuscripts into journal submissions ahead of reporting deadlines to provide concrete, peer-reviewed evidence of accomplishments.

Department of Energy

The DOE is the most recent agency to propose caps on indirect costs. That proposal has been paused by the court system. In the meantime, the university is proceeding with the previously negotiated indirect cost recovery rates. If an investigator receives any notice from an agency or other federal source, the RO office strongly urges that you not respond, but rather forward all correspondence to OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu. A casual communication from a PI may unintentionally limit WVU’s future actions and recourse.

Grant Terminations

The NSF, USDA, and others are actively engaged in rescinding existing awards that no longer align with agency objectives. These cancellation notices are not always coming through official channels, so please forward any communications, official or unofficial, that you receive to OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu so that we can act accordingly and advise on next steps.

Appeals of Award Cancellations

The RO is working on an appeal process that will be directed by OSP. When an agency will entertain an appeal and when a PI desires to, OSP will initiate an appeal process.

National Science Foundation

Last week the NSF issued new guidance on agency priorities and broader impact strategies.

The recommendations are to emphasize the following Broader Impact objectives:

1. Increasing the economic competitiveness of the United States.
2. Advancing of the health and welfare of the American public.
3. Supporting the national defense of the United States.
4. Enhancing partnerships between academia and industry in the United States.
5. Developing an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive through improved pre-kindergarten through grade 12 STEM education and teacher development, and improved undergraduate STEM education and instruction.
6. Improving public scientific literacy and engagement with science and technology in the United States.

Investigators aiming to expand participation in STEM among women and other underrepresented groups must ensure that all outreach, recruitment, and engagement activities in NSF-funded projects remain open and accessible to all individuals, regardless of background. Engagement efforts directed toward individuals, institutions, groups, or communities on the basis of protected characteristics may only occur as part of broader, inclusive outreach activities. Investigators may also target non-protected characteristics—such as institutional type, geographic location, socioeconomic status, or career stage—to expand participation in STEM. However, such efforts must not indirectly favor or exclude individuals or groups based on protected characteristics.

Dear Colleague,

The West Virginia University Research Office would like to make you aware of some recent litigation regarding Executive Orders that might affect your DEI and gender-related aspects of grant activities.

DEI: On Friday, March 14, the Fourth Circuit granted the Government's Motion to Stay the Preliminary Injunction, meaning that DEI- and equity-related activities are paused once again. Some agencies have sent additional guidance, please forward any notification or directives that you receive from your sponsors to OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu.

Gender Ideology: Consistent with Executive Order 14168, federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology. This restriction is separate from the DEI- and equity-related executive orders.

Regards,
The WVU Research Office

Latest News on the potential of a Federal Shutdown

As of March 12, none of the FY 2025 appropriations bills have been signed into law. Without passage of a new continuing resolution or negotiated final bill/s by midnight Friday, March 14, a majority of the federal government will shut down until a resolution is reached by Congress. We will continue to share guidance with you as we receive updates.

Research Impact

We expect little to no immediate impact on research funding. Funds that are already awarded would likely not be affected. However, during a shutdown, agencies not currently funded will most likely not be able to issue new contracts or grants or renew existing projects.

General Expectations

• Generally speaking, a government shutdown will have little to no immediate impact on the ability of in-place federally funded research to continue, though the University will not be able to receive reimbursement. Absent notification to the contrary, researchers may presume that they can proceed as normal. However, it may be prudent to reduce expenses to the extent practical without significantly impacting the research.
• Agencies will be prohibited from issuing new grants/contracts or amendments, including those for continued funding increments, supplements, or no cost time extensions requiring explicit prior Federal awarding agency approval.
• Most agencies’ staff will not be working. Inquiries about upcoming deadlines, proposal preparation and applications, or actions requiring prior approval will likely go unanswered until the shutdown is resolved.
• The proposal review process will be delayed.
• Grant payments will be stalled.
• Principal Investigators (PIs) should continue to meet all deadlines set forth in their awards and should be able to submit annual and final project reports and Project Outcomes Reports via Research.gov.
• Once the shutdown is lifted, there will still be delays as the federal government resumes its operations. Do not expect grants and contracts to be issued immediately after the shutdown ends.
• Research projects that will be most directly impacted are those with the closest ties to a federal agency or federal employees. For example: cooperative agreements with a federal research partner; students receiving direct stipends from the federal government under training grants; employees who are working on-site at a federal facility.
• Contingency planning should take into account what resources are available to projects requiring access to Federal Facilities/Staff: For cooperative agreements, the PI should perform this analysis prior to the shutdown in consultation with the federal program manager and departmental leadership. If the work cannot continue without access to federal facilities/staff, the department should determine if persons working under the agreement can be redirected to other work and/or fund sources.
• Stop Work Orders

Some federal contracts contain a clause that gives the federal agency sponsor the right to order WVU to stop performing work. If an agency exercises this right under a specified contract, WVU would not be reimbursed for expenses incurred between the effective date of the Stop Work Order and when the order is rescinded. Researchers should promptly forward any Stop Work Orders (SWOs) or other correspondence related to a shutdown to OSP. As opposed to the scenarios above, expenses incurred during a Stop Work period are generally NOT reimbursable, even when the government resumes normal operations. Thus, if a campus receives a SWO from a federal agency, they must immediately implement a series of steps to stop work on the project.

Should you have questions please email OSP_help@mail.wvu.edu

Dear members of the WVU research community,

We have a few updates to share.

• NIH: On March 5, a federal judge granted a nationwide preliminary injunction (PDF) blocking the implementation of the NIH’s Rate Change Notice. The Court’s action follows a nationwide temporary restraining order issued February 10, in response to the lawsuit filed by the Association of American Medical Colleges, as well as others. WVU is covered under this injunction and may continue to charge its applicable rates (PDF).

Study sections at the NIH have resumed as notices have started to appear in the Federal Register as required in advance of study sections.

• DEI: On Friday, February 21, a Maryland federal court issued a nationwide injunction preventing the enforcement of the termination provisions of Executive Orders 14151 and 14173 targeting equity-related grants. The Trump Administration immediately appealed the court’s preliminary injunction, so this is an evolving situation. In the interim, if you ceased DEI efforts under a blanket directive from an agency, you may now proceed with those activities. Any Principal Investigators who received project-specific, stop-work orders directly from a sponsor is advised to contact OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu. All PIs are advised to not make long term or significant financial commitments, such as planning conferences or hiring new personnel as rulings may be reversed on short notice.
• DOGE: Lastly, a new Executive Order issued on Feb. 26, the Implementing DOGE Cost Efficiency Initiative , directs federal agencies to take particular actions over the next 30 days. Since this was directed at agencies, there are no specific actions that WVU or that you need to take at this time, but we are sharing the essence of the order for informational purposes. Under this order, agencies are required to establish systems to identify and justify, in writing, every payment that they make. Additionally, each agency will review all contracts and grants and may terminate or modify agreements to reduce or reallocate overall spending, depending on their assessment. Furthermore, agencies are ordered to assess their current contracting policies and procedures. There is still much to learn about how each agency will respond and what the specific implications might be for WVU, but we expect to see delays in payments. We are actively working with the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU), our peer institutions and officials in Washington, D.C., to better understand the potential impact.

We are committed to keeping you informed as more details become available, and we will continue to share updates on our website.

For questions and guidance, please contact OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu.

Thank you for your continued adaptability in navigating these evolving circumstances.

Sincerely,

The WVU Research Office

Dear Colleagues,

Recent federal directives and policy changes are impacting research across the country. The following information is provided as overall best practice, but a few key points are specific to recent activity related to sponsored awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

We are asking that Principal Investigators or designees work with your chief business officers (CBO) and research administration teams to complete the following steps in planning and managing your sponsored research activity, keeping in mind, that much of the following guidance is always good practice.

1. Proposal Submissions

   Please continue to plan and prepare your sponsored research proposals based on the most recent solicitations and posted funding mechanisms available. Be sure to sign up for any sponsor’s listservs, so you can remain aware of any changes in real time.

   For proposals due to NIH after February 10, submit the budget with the existing rates and include the following statement in the budget justification: “West Virginia University and West Virginia University Research Corporation will comply with applicable law and guidance governing indirect cost rates upon award.”

   Should the 15% cap persist, we are already developing guidance in those instances and details will be shared at that time. It is prudent to prepare backup budget scenarios in case a 15% indirect cost cap remains.

2. Award Management

   We advise careful financial management of all award activities. Principal Investigators should focus on planned expenditures and work closely with your CBO to ensure that award expenditures are posted in a timely manner. CBOs should review the monthly financial reports shared with principal investigators and grant support teams in their unit. If you are not receiving monthly reports, please contact the Shared Services Center to request them.

   It is critical to review encumbrances in addition to expenditures and compare them to budget. Encumbrances are amounts earmarked to be spent on the award. They are not expensed until a financial transaction occurs. For example, a payroll is processed, or contracts or equipment invoices are approved AND received upon in our WVU Mountaineer Marketplace system. If an encumbrance balance remains but it should have been cleared to become an expenditure, please work with your CBO to update the process.

3. No-cost Extensions

   It is critical to manage your project with the expectation that the period of performance at the time of the award will not be modified. Please do not assume that a no-cost extension will be granted by the sponsor.

4. Facilities and administrative costs requests

   Please be advised that the University will not consider requests for reduced or waived facilities and administration costs.

5. Awards within six months of completion

   Financial Management and Sponsored Project Accounting will send a list of open awards with periods of performance that have expired or will expire within six months to your unit’s dean and CBO this week. These awards should be prioritized to ensure that all transactions are completed within the budget period. The Financial Management and Sponsored Project Accounting Team will continue to work to ensure that transactions are posted, and timely invoicing and sponsor payments continue to flow during the final months of the awards. Principal Investigators or designees need to ensure that transactions are posted appropriately and as expected.

The Research Office has launched this webpage to provide updates and information regarding recent federal executive orders. If you have questions, please contact OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu. For financial transaction reporting or billing support, please contact SharedServices@mail.wvu.edu.

We understand that research is central to West Virginia University’s mission and our collective goal is that we continue to positively serve our students, state, and society.

WVU Research Office Leadership Team

Dear Colleagues,

On Friday, Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health issued an announcement indicating its intent to reduce indirect cost recovery to a flat 15% from any previously negotiated rates. This affects new grants, as well as existing grants effective today (Feb. 10).

For West Virginia University, we project an annual loss of approximately $12 million, which would seriously inhibit our ability to perform research.

While direct costs cover researcher salaries, student stipends, supplies and some equipment, indirect costs cover the University’s expenses for heat and air, building maintenance, chemical and radiation safety and disposal, library access, IT access, cybersecurity, human subjects and animal welfare support, centralized research facilities such as the Health Sciences Center Cores, the Shared Research Facilities and High-Performance Computing, among others. These funds also support the administration and oversight of awards to ensure that funds are spent appropriately and responsibly.

WVU does not profit from indirect costs. Costs of Federal Research infographic.

Our leadership team and government liaisons are working with others to seek reconsideration. All universities have indirect costs, and our nation’s research universities cannot operate without this support. We are also aware that indirect rates for other federal agencies might also change.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we understand the concern it may generate.

We want you to know that we are swiftly engaging in local, peer and national conversations. We will update you as we learn more and as we have guidance regarding how these decisions may affect facets of work across the WVU System.

The Research Office has launched a webpage to provide updates and information regarding recent federal executive orders. If you have urgent questions, please contact OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu.

Best regards,

The WVU Research Office Leadership Team

We know there is a great deal of confusion and concern about recent developments and the impact on federal awards. Today’s rescinding of OMB-25-13 should NOT be interpreted as a total reversal. Agencies are still under the obligations imposed by previous Executive Orders (EOs) and are required to evaluate their programs compliance with those EOs.

Your award is a contractual obligation between WVU and the funding agency, therefore WVU will act in response to agency directives and WVU is bound by the most recent agency directive.

If you have been issued a stop work order for your particular award, you must stop work and await further guidance from your agency. Do not assume it has been lifted by today’s news. Please share any such orders with OSP at OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu.

If you have not been sent a stop work order, proceed as usual with the following exception.

• DEIA activities––since agencies have provided blanket statements calling for the cessation of those activities––please honor those statements until directed otherwise.

WVU is in contact with many other universities who are all in uncharted territory, the above course of action is shared by most of our counterparts.

We are here to help as best we can. Please let us know if you have any questions and we’ll try our best to answer. You can reach us at OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu.

A message from Vice President for Research Fred King and Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Kreider

The Department of Health and Human Services has instituted a pause pending administrative review on public communications for HHS employees including grant announcements, press releases and publication of documents, to name a few.

West Virginia University is closely monitoring the situation and will provide any pertinent updates if it may affect research activities. For context, previous new federal administrations have issued similar directives during the transition process.

We believe this pause is temporary and anticipate activities could resume as soon as Feb. 1. Separately, HHS staff have been instructed to suspend all work-related travel immediately and indefinitely. There is some precedent for travel suspensions in past administrations.

For now, we encourage you to remain focused on the important work and research you are conducting. We will continue to be in touch with information as it becomes available. If you have questions or need assistance, please email OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu or provost@mail.wvu.edu.