- April 23, 2025:
- April 21, 2025:
- April 18, 2025:
- April 14, 2025:
- April 11, 2025:
- April 4, 2025:
- April 4, 2025:
- March 27, 2025:
- March 6, 2025:
- March 5, 2025:
- February 27, 2025:
- February 21, 2025:
- February 10, 2025:
- February 10, 2025:
- February 7, 2025:
- January 31, 2025:
- January 29, 2025:
- January 28, 2025:
- January 28, 2025:
- January 27, 2025:
- January 21, 2025:
Additional Information:
On January 21, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a pausing public communications from all HHS agencies—including the CDC, FDA and NIH—and subsequently instructed staff to suspend all work-related travel and grant reviews. On February 4, HHS issued internal guidance and procedures allowing certain external communications, travel and grant reviews to resume.
On January 27, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo directing federal agencies to temporarily pause all activities related to federal financial assistance or that may be implicated by recent executive orders. On January 29, a federal judge in the District of Columbia issued a on the memo. OMB the same day but continued to pause certain federal financial assistance. On January 31, another federal judge in Rhode Island granted a (TRO) blocking the administration from freezing federal loans, grants and other financial assistance. On February 10, that federal judge in response to claims that federal agencies continue to improperly freeze federal funds.
On February 7, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a that, effective immediately, all payments made by the NIH to universities, hospitals, research institutions and other grantees for “indirect costs”—which include costs related to facilities and administration—will be capped at a 15% rate. The change applies to both new and existing grant awards. On February 10, 22 state attorney generals, including Attorney General Anthony Brown for the State of Maryland, to seek injunctive relief from the NIH notice. The same day, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a (TRO) preventing the NIH from enacting the rate change.
On February 10, 22 state attorney generals, including Attorney General Anthony Brown for the State of Maryland, to seek injunctive relief from the NIH notice. The same day, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a (TRO) preventing the NIH from enacting the rate change. On February 21, that judge until a further order is issued resolving the request for a preliminary injunction.
On February 27, the administration issued an executive order titled The order seeks to review and centralize all federal discretionary payments, including grants, projects and loans, under DOGE. Agency heads are tasked with immediately reviewing all grants and contracts and, notably, "the process... shall prioritize the review of funds disbursed under covered contracts and grants to educational institutions and foreign entities for waste, fraud, and abuse." Each agency head is instructed to complete this review within 30 days and determine if terminations or modifications are needed in order to promote efficiency or decrease spending. Once the review is completed, agency employees are instructed to publicly submit "brief, written justifications" prior to that employee's approval of a future payment for covered contracts and grants. There are also provisions freezing agency employee travel.
On March 27, the administration issued an executive order titled The order impacts the Smithsonian Institution and "prohibit[s] expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy," which could have implications on projects conducted in partnership with Smithsonian museums and research centers.
On April 4, 16 state attorneys general, including Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, filed a seeking injunctive relief against the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The lawsuit argues that "by postponing meetings, delaying the review of pending applications, failing to issue final recommendations, and terminating issued grants, NIH is failing to meet its statutory obligations and violating applicable regulations."
On April 11, the Department of Energy that, similar to the previous announcement by the National Institutes of Health, it would cap indirect cost rates for colleges and universities at 15%. The announcement further states that, "Consistent with this memorandum, the Department is undertaking action to terminate all grant awards to IHEs that do not conform with this updated policy." On April 14, the Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the American Council on Education (ACE) filed a against the Department of Energy seeking a halt to the proposed indirect cost rate cut.
On April 18, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued on agency priorities. The guidance states that research projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities. The guidance further states that NSF will not support research with the goal of combating ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘malinformation'. All awards that “are not aligned” with NSF’s mission have been terminated and this guidance will apply to future funding considerations.
On April 21, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued for all new, renewal, supplement, or continuation awards issued on or after the date of the notice. The new terms require applicants to certify that they do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, DEIA, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws. Applicants must also verify that they do not engage in and will not during the term of this award engage in a discriminatory prohibited boycott.
On April 23, the administration issued an executive order titled The order directs the Secretary of Education to "take appropriate to require universities to more specifically disclose details about foreign funding, including the true source and purpose of the funds," and to conduct audits, investigations and enforcement actions on institutions deemed non-compliant.
