Federal Executive Orders and Research Activities: Follow-up from Jan. 23 Email

Dear Principal Investigators,

In response to executive orders issued by the new administration, some federal agencies have begun issuing “stop-work orders,” or other policy directives, for grants and contracts.  In some instances, these orders have been sent directly to principal investigators. If you receive such an order directly, please forward it to your SPA project officer immediately. SPA will work with principal investigators to interpret any orders received and provide guidance regarding how to comply.

Compliance with stop-work orders is critical. Specific requirements of a stop-work order will vary.  In some cases, an order may be broad and require immediate suspension of all activities on the project. In other cases, the order may be more tailored and apply only to specific activities such as DEIA. 

In the case of a more tailored order, investigators may be required to identify and cease any activity covered under the suspension, and, based on the findings, SPA may be required to report specific details to the sponsoring agency. As always, such communications with funding agencies must be through SPA, which is Columbia’s authorized organizational representative.

We are updating the Federal Research Updates 2025 webpage to reflect new developments.  Please stay tuned for additional updates.

Bill Berger
AVP for Sponsored Projects Administration

January 27, 2025