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.
 

Managing Faculty Grants

Faculty are expected to spend UROP funding according to the budgets outlined in awarded proposals and to track their expenses for potential audits.

We pay faculty grants by transferring awarded funds directly to recipients near the beginning of the grant term. We follow up with the journal entry (JE#) of the transfer.

Timeline

April 25, 2025 - Grant Acceptance Due
May 12-23, 2025 - Transfer Window
August 15, 2025 - Team Mentor's Final Survey Due
August 29, 2025 - Team Member's Final Survey Due
August 20, 2025 - Grant End Date

April 25, 2025 - Grant Acceptance Due
August 25-29, 2025- Transfer Window
April 10, 2026 - Team Mentor's Final Survey Due
April 24, 2026 - Team Member's Final Survey Due
May 1, 2026 - Grant End Date

The next deadline will be February 13, 2026 and will award proposals in Summer 2026 and Academic Year 2026-27.

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