Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

ORSP News

Updated 10/1/2025 at 10:39a.m.

Please note that agencies’ contingency plans will not be posted on Whitehouse.gov as has been done in the past. Each federal agency and department will post its specific information separately on its own website.

Department of Education

https://www.ed.gov/media/document/us-department-of-education-contingency-plan-lapse-fiscal-year-fy-2026-appropriations-112431.pdf

Department of Defense

https://media.defense.gov/2025/Sep/27/2003809363/-1/-1/1/CONTINGENCY-PLAN-GUIDANCE-FOR-CONTINUATION-OF-OPERATIONS-IN-THE-ABSENCE-OF-APPROPRIATIONS.PDF

Department of Health and Human Services

https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy-2026-hhs-contingency-staffing-plan/index.html

Department of Veterans Affairs

Human Capital Contingency Plan – VA Contingency Planning

Department of Homeland Security

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/2025_0925_dhs_procedures_related_to_a_lapse_in_appropriations.pdf

As you may be aware, the federal government has entered a shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations. We understand this may raise concerns regarding your federally funded research projects, and we want to provide reassurance and guidance during this period.

What You Need to Know:

Active Grants and Cooperative Agreements

You may continue work on existing awards unless you receive a specific stop-work order from the funding agency.

Expenses can continue to be incurred on active grants where funds have already been obligated.

Federal Contracts

Some contracts may be subject to stop-work orders. If you receive such a notice, please contact ORSP immediately.

Reach out to ORSP with any questions or concerns. They are here to support you.

Proposal Submissions

Continue preparing and submitting proposals as planned.

Federal submission portals (e.g., Grants.gov, Research.gov) may remain operational, but help desks and program officers will likely be unavailable.

If you encounter technical issues, contact ORSP so we can document the submission attempts (e.g., help ticket) to demonstrate compliance with deadlines.

New Awards and Modifications

No new awards, renewals, or supplements will be issued during the shutdown.

Requests requiring prior agency approval (e.g., no-cost extensions, rebudgeting) will not be processed until federal operations resume.

Reporting Requirements

Please continue to submit technical and financial reports by their original deadlines.

If a federal system is unavailable, retain documentation of your attempt and submit once systems are restored.

Communication with Federal Agencies

Most federal staff are furloughed and unavailable. We recommend postponing non-urgent inquiries until after the shutdown.

Reach out to ORSP with any questions or concerns. They are here to support you.

We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates as they become available. Thank you for your continued commitment to research excellence during this uncertain time.

The new NIH policy, effective October 1, 2025, requires that all institutions receiving NIH funding provide training to Senior/Key Personnel on other support (OS) disclosure requirements. This training can be found through the CITI Research Training website.

View the new policy here: NIH Announces a New Policy Requirement to Train Senior/Key Personnel on Other Support Disclosure Requirements

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP) released an NSF Important Notice outlining new and updated requirements related to research security. The notice introduces several key policy changes aimed at safeguarding the integrity of NSF-supported research including Mandatory Research Security Training.

This training requirement will go into effect beginning October 1, 2025.
All PIs submitting proposals on or after October 1st will be required to have a training certificate.
Training can be found through CITI Research Security Training.

Information on these changes can be found here: NSF Important Notice to Awardee Organizations

Reach out to research2@mtsu.edu with any questions you may have regarding this new training requirement.

As of July 1st, the Post-Award Specialists have transitioned to the Business Office.

Award Management Specialist assignments will remain the same. Find your department’s assignment by visiting https://research.mtsu.edu/staff/

Mike Zierman, Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts, will replace Rachel McGinnis as approver on all post-award forms such as EPAFs, PEFs, and contracts.