Sponsored Projects Administration

Potential Partial Shutdown of the Federal Government: Impacts on Sponsored Research

Dear Colleagues: 

Given the evolving situation in Washington, there is a possibility of a partial federal government shutdown at midnight on January 31, 2026. Unlike the previous shutdown, this shutdown would not affect the entire federal government. 

At this time, the following departments and agencies, among others, are expected to be impacted: Defense, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, Transportation, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and State.

The following departments and agencies will not be impacted: Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Interior, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Association, National Institute of Science and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, National Endowment of the Arts, National Endowment of the Humanities, and U.S. Geological Survey. 

In the event of a shutdown, we summarize below anticipated impacts on proposals and awards at affected agencies and highlight actions the research community can take now. As agencies release official shutdown procedures, we expect additional agency-specific guidance and contingency plans to follow.

During the shutdown, the following activities at impacted agencies are affected:

  • Limited Contact with Federal Employees: Due to furloughs, federal employees will generally be unavailable for inquiries and support.
  • Proposal Submission: Please continue to submit proposals as planned unless otherwise notified. If agency portals become unavailable, each federal agency will provide guidance on the status of the proposal submissions, including any adjustments to deadlines.
  • Peer Reviews and Council Meetings: No peer reviews or council meetings will take place.
  • Grants and Cooperative Agreements: Generally, awarded grants and cooperative agreements will continue with minimal disruptions. Please continue with any active work, unless directly notified otherwise.
  • Federal Contracts: Some contracts may be subject to stop-work orders. Determinations will be made by each agency on a contract-by-contract basis.
  • New Awards and Contracts: New awards will not be issued, and contracts will not be executed. 

We recommend contacting the agency program staff for any immediate needs as soon as possible regarding upcoming deadlines, funding opportunities and other time-sensitive programmatic matters in anticipation of a government shutdown.

Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep you apprised of agency-specific guidance as it becomes available. If you should directly receive notice from an agency regarding a stop work order or other impact on a sponsored award, please immediately notify SPA.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your SPA Project Officer.

All updates will be posted at Government Shutdown for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 (FFY26).  

Sincerely,

 

Jeannette M. Wing
Executive Vice President for Research
Professor of Computer Science

Helen Kim
Vice President for Research Operations & Policy

January 30, 2026