Update to Impact of Executive Orders on Federal Awards - Feb. 6, 2025

I am writing with an update on recent developments surrounding federal funding as impacted by the executive orders issued by the Trump administration. 

On Monday, Jan. 27, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo describing an immediate pause on all federal spending to allow funding agencies to determine the impact of previously issued Executive Orders (EOs). This memo was subsequently rescinded. However, the directive remained that all awardees were required to ensure all activities undertaken with federal funds were in compliance with the executive orders. 

On Friday, Jan. 31, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) stating that federal granting agencies shall “not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate ... awards and obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the States, and ... not impede the States’ access to such awards and obligations, except on the basis of the applicable authorizing statutes, regulations, and terms.” Thus, federal agencies cannot stop existing federal funding agreements based on the rescinded memo or existing EOs.  

Note that federal agencies are approaching implementation of the TRO differently. The following federal agencies are currently allowing drawdowns: 

• National Science Foundation (NSF) 

• Guidance and FAQs from NSF can be found here. 

• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

• Department of Education (G6.gov) 

• Department of the Interior (partial availability) 

• Please contact Jeri-Anne Lyons if you have a DOI grant before you encumber funds. 

At this time, unless otherwise indicated by your funding agency, work on federally funded awards may resume if activities have been stopped due to the executive orders and related stop-work orders. This will remain true as long as the TRO is in effect.  

This remains a rapidly changing situation with significant uncertainty. Further developments are likely as the courts review recent actions by the Trump administration. 

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will continue to monitor further developments and share those with campus. Please continue to share communications that you received with AVP for Research, Jeri-Anne Lyons, and Interim Director of Sponsored Programs, Pamela Keener. 

Thank you for your continued patience and support as we work through this rapidly evolving situation. 

Jeri-Anne Lyons, PhD

Associate Vice President for Research
Dean, Graduate School
University of Northern Colorado