During a government shutdown, agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) generally pause new grant awards, proposal reviews, and program launches. Institutions with existing federal research awards may still be able to draw down previously obligated funds, but technical assistance, progress reviews, and application processing are typically suspended.

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), most federal research staff and grant managers are classified as nonessential and furloughed, resulting in delays that can extend well beyond the shutdown itself. Past shutdowns have led to cancellations of reserved time on national lab instruments, closures of field research sites on federal lands, etc.

The impact on undergraduate research is not yet clear, but students applying for NSF, NIH or other federally supported programs might experience delays in response times to email and program timelines might change. UROP advises students involved in projects to stay in communication with project mentors and be attentive to program websites for updates.

CU Boulder’s administration is working to minimize disruptions to research and other grant-supported activities. In the unlikely event that students with UROP funding experience changes in their ability to accomplish project goals, such as the availability of mentors and/or resources, UROP will not withdraw previously awarded funding.
 

Award Amounts

Our Assistantship award rates are standardized as follows: $1,000 in the Academic Year and $2,000 in the Summer.

Students graduating in the Fall Term (December) may apply for Academic Year grants but should be aware that they will be awarded half the value of the standard rate ($500) due to the shorter term of the project. Award amounts are larger in the summer term to account for the additional cost of living in the Boulder area, travel expenses and other factors.

Student grant funding is paid as a stipend using the university's payroll system (job code 3205). Although students need an employee identification number (EID) and payments are made through the payroll system, UROP funding is not considered payroll wages or employee compensation. UROP funding is considered "Other Financial Aid" (OFA) according to the university's policy on paying students and all award information will be reported to the Office of Financial Aid.

Payments to recipients who are U.S. citizens are not typically subject to federal and state income tax withholding and payroll taxes (i.e., FICA and Medicare taxes). The university has no tax reporting requirement for these payments (no W-2), but is required to report payments on the federal form 1042-S. Grants, scholarships and awards received as OFA may need to be reported on tax returns if the amount exceeds qualified educational expenses as defined by IRS Publication 970. Grants and scholarships are listed on a 1098-T. Students are responsible for accurately reporting their income.

About Student Grant Payment

Assistantships

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