Federal Grant News 2025

Impact of New NIH Indirect Costs Policy. 

Please also see the resource page to learn more about indirect costs.

March 25, 2025

Message to Investigator and Roundtable Lists

Dear colleagues,

I want to ensure that you reviewed the message below from Dave Kotz and Scott Frew and noted the possibility of short-term, emergency “bridge” funding for most ongoing federal grants that may be terminated or paused or otherwise interrupted by an administrative delay in anticipated funding, e.g., through a non-competing or highly scored competing renewal. As of today, Dartmouth has not received any cancellations or stop work orders for direct federal awards, but we are preparing, nonetheless.  

This short-term bridge funding will supplement existing faculty, departmental, and school resources to ensure the safety of participants in ongoing studies and/or to provide an opportunity for already funded or highly ranked programs:

To preserve and complete data already collected;
To bridge a delay in receipt of anticipated funding;
To pivot to alternative funding sources;
Or to enable the orderly conclusion of ongoing work.

Faculty who receive stop-work, termination, or other funding notices should not reply, and should instead immediately contact the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP)—or me directly—through an email to sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu. Please note that federal agencies and subcontracting entities generally send such communications to OSP under the award terms. OSP will support researchers as we work collaboratively to assess the implications of the specific notice and to develop and communicate responses on behalf of Dartmouth. 

If needed, short-term bridge funding requests can then be prepared by faculty members in consultation with chairs (Geisel), associate deans (A&S) and the dean’s office (all schools), and with support from departmental grant managers. Your dean will submit those requests to Vice Provost for Research Dean Madden, who will review them in consultation with OSP and the applicable deans, chairs, and PIs as necessary. The provost will make the final decision.

I hope this demonstration of Dartmouth’s ongoing commitment to research will provide you and your teams some reassurance.

Best,

Jill Mortali
Director of Sponsored Projects

March 25, 2025

From: Provost David Kotz '86 and Chief Financial Officer Scott Frew 
Subject: Facing Our Financial Future from a Position of Strength

Dartmouth’s academic mission and the student experience remain our highest priority and will drive all decision-making.

 
Dear faculty and staff colleagues,
 
We are writing today to assure you of the financial stability of our institution and to be transparent about the steps we are taking to maintain that stability.

Dartmouth’s academic mission and the student experience remain our highest priority and will drive all decision-making. We couldn’t deliver on this promise without you. Your talent and dedication to this institution are our greatest strength. For that reason, we are continuing to invest in our people.

We remain committed to offering competitive compensation and benefits to all employees and will continue to be strategic with recruitment and retention. We are able to do this because of the expertise of our investment and finance teams, the generosity of our donors, and the prudent approach we have taken to the budget.

Since last year, as part of our long-range planning efforts, we have been conducting a thorough analysis of our funding sources and considered potential short- and long-term impacts of changes in federal funding, known and unknown internal and external challenges, opportunities and pressures, and various other financial outcomes.

As one example, and out of an abundance of caution, we have developed a process that will guide the allocation of short-term, emergency “bridge” funding, if needed, in the event that ongoing federal grants are terminated, paused, or otherwise interrupted by an administrative delay. While the bridge funding cannot be a long-term solution, this reflects Dartmouth’s continued commitment to research.

There is little doubt that changes to federal funding or policy will impact Dartmouth financially in some way, but we face these changes on solid ground. In our effort to continue the financial prudence that has served us well, we plan to take the following actions to ensure we are on steady financial footing moving forward:

Monitor and Slow Discretionary Spending: We encourage academic and administrative units to closely monitor and slow discretionary spending where possible and to be prudent with financial commitments.
Conservative FY26 Budget Approvals: We anticipate fewer FY26 approvals for new investments, and we expect strategic reductions and reallocation of funds to support priorities.
Scenario Planning: We are asking that academic and academic-support units develop multiple different financial-planning scenarios.

By taking these steps, we are confident that Dartmouth can be both fiscally responsible and ambitious. We are also constantly exploring new and different ways of doing things that could unlock opportunity, innovation, and efficiency. This is what financially successful organizations do—they think constantly about how to redeploy their resources to push forward their priorities. We encourage all of you to do the same.

Dartmouth is a 255-year-old institution that has weathered disruptive change for centuries and endured as a distinctive leader in the academy. We are confident our trajectory is a positive one and we will continue to thrive. We are in this together and will get through it together.

Sincerely,
David Kotz ’86
Provost

Scott Frew
Chief Financial Officer
  

March 5, 2025

Dear colleagues,

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction yesterday that further formalizes and extends a pause on recent National Institutes of Health guidance that would cap indirect cost payments on current and new NIH grants at 15%.

The injunction replaces a temporary restraining order that was issued and then extended last month, and it will remain in place as multiple lawsuits make their way through the courts, including one brought by the Association of American Medical Colleges and another by the Association of American Universities—both organizations of which Dartmouth is a member. The conditions for issuing a preliminary injunction include an assessment that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their case, and that there is a high likelihood of irreparable harm if the proposed changes are allowed to proceed. The court agreed with the associations’ position, basing its assessment in large part on the statements filed in these cases by universities and including several references to the declaration filed by Provost Dave Kotz.

Additionally, the NIH appears to have resumed scheduling and posting of study section meetings. We encourage those affected by canceled meetings to check NIH sources and reach out to their Senior Research Officer or to the Office of Sponsored Projects (sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu) for assistance in obtaining information.

We also encourage you to continue submitting information on the impact of the federal transition via this OSP survey. We understand from the 60+ responses received thus far that there have been disruptions on multiple levels including canceled review meetings, delayed award notices, and other issues. That feedback helps to inform our advocacy on behalf of Dartmouth and its mission through ongoing meetings with congressional representatives and staff, professional organizations, and members of the news media to ensure the impact is visible. 

As previously communicated, faculty, staff, students, and postdocs should continue their normal activities unless otherwise notified by OSP. Past updates and information about executive orders and government directives related to research funding are posted on our website. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you receive direct communication from any federal agency regarding a specific grant or contract. We continue to be a resource on as many of these issues as possible.

Sincerely,
Dean Madden
Vice Provost for Research

Jill Mortali
Director of Sponsored Projects

February 21, 2025

Dear colleagues,

Earlier today, a federal judge extended the pause on recent National Institutes of Health guidance that, if implemented, would cap indirect cost payments on current and new NIH grants at 15%.

The judge did not set a new expiration date for the temporary restraining order, which stems from a lawsuit brought by the Association of American Medical Colleges—an organization of which Dartmouth is a member. Faculty, staff, students, and postdocs should continue their normal activities unless otherwise notified by the Office of Sponsored Projects.

Past updates and other information about executive orders and government directives related to research funding are posted on the OSP website. Please continue to reach out to us at sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu if you receive direct communication from any federal agency regarding a specific grant or contract.

Sincerely,
Jill Mortali
Director of Sponsored Projects

February 12, 2025

Dear colleagues,

A judge has paused implementation of the new National Institutes of Health guidance capping indirect cost payments at 15%. The pause is in effect—including for Dartmouth—pending a hearing on Feb. 21.

The temporary restraining order resulted from a lawsuit brought by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) on Monday around the same time as the Association of American Universities (AAU) lawsuit described in Provost Kotz’ message below. The AAU lawsuit was also reviewed by a judge but did not result in additional action because the order issued in the AAMC suit covers the same parties as the AAU suit.

Faculty, staff, students, and post-docs supported by federal funding should continue their normal activities unless otherwise notified by the Office of Sponsored Projects (sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu). We will continue to share related information as it becomes available.

As a reminder, several members of the senior leadership team and I will attend a faculty gathering in Paganucci Lounge tomorrow at 8 a.m., where we will answer questions about Dartmouth’s response to the recent executive orders and administrative directives.

Sincerely,

Jill Mortali

Director of Sponsored Projects
 

Sent Monday, February 10

Dear faculty and staff,

As we shared this weekend, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued new guidance on its indirect costs policy, capping those payments at 15% for existing and new NIH grants. Today, the Association of American Universities (AAU) and others filed a lawsuit challenging that policy update and seeking to halt the proposed cut.

As an AAU member, Dartmouth submitted a declaration in support of the lawsuit, outlining the negative impact of this policy on our own research infrastructure and operations, our ability to employ thousands of people in rural New Hampshire and beyond, and the life-saving discoveries we produce.

We understand that these changes—and the continually evolving landscape we are navigating—are causing considerable concern and uncertainty in our community. Nevertheless, we are not pausing research or grant spending on existing awards and we will continue to update you on any related legal or executive actions.

Several members of Dartmouth’s senior leadership team and I will attend a previously scheduled faculty gathering in Paganucci Lounge this Thursday morning at 8 a.m., where we will answer questions about our response to the recent executive orders and administrative directives.

The Office of Sponsored Projects remains the primary resource for anyone with questions about how emerging agency guidance may affect specific grant awards and contracts or new funding proposals. You can reach them at sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu.

Best,
David Kotz ’86
Provost

February 8, 2025

Dear faculty and staff colleagues,

Last night the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued supplemental guidance on its indirect costs policy, capping those payments at 15% for existing and new NIH grants to higher education institutions.

As many of you know, indirect costs include the portions of a grant that support facilities, equipment, maintenance, and other overhead expenses necessary to operate a research enterprise. We are mobilizing quickly in close partnership with Dartmouth Health, our peer universities, and professional organizations such as the Association of American Universities to understand the implications.

We will provide further updates to this community in the coming days but want to assure you now that we are focused on this issue and will continue to support our faculty, staff, and students in their important research endeavors. Please continue to email the Office of Sponsored Projects (sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu) with questions regarding the impact to specific grants.

Sincerely,

Jill Mortali

Director of Sponsored Projects

February 2, 2025

Recent DOJ and Agency Communications on Research Funding

Dear faculty colleagues,

As referenced in previous communications (all available on the Office of Sponsored Projects website), we are continuing to assess the potential impact of recent federal executive orders, legal rulings, and agency directives on Dartmouth.

Faculty, staff, students, and post-docs supported by federal funding should continue their normal activities unless otherwise notified by OSP. Please share this information with your teams.

A federal court issued a Temporary Restraining Order on Jan. 31 preventing the government from continuing its “pause” on federal funding. This order is in place while the court considers further information from the parties involved in the lawsuit. The Department of Justice, in turn, provided guidance to all federal agencies to ensure that they would be in compliance with the court’s order. The DOJ communication directs federal grant-making agencies not to “pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB Memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.”

We are aware that some researchers have received announcements from their funding agencies—including a Feb. 2 email to National Science Foundation principal investigators—which cite that DOJ communication. OSP has received similar messages from several other federal agencies, including HHS, NIH, and ARPA-H. Please note that NSF and other agencies may refer to Dartmouth’s access to federal disbursements via their systems (e.g., the NSF Award Cash Management Service ACM$). The process is managed by OSP and there was never any disruption to researchers’ access to grant funds at Dartmouth.

In addition to the OSP website listing recent messages on this topic, the OSP resource page includes guidance for Dartmouth researchers and ongoing updates from federal agency sponsors. If you receive any change notifications or additional information from your program officer or other federal agency staff, please send them to sponsored.projects@dartmouth.eduso that we can advise you—and not only to your department administrator or assigned OSP contact. It is important to check with OSP before assuming that your project is affected by general guidance.

We appreciate your patience and continue to welcome your questions as we navigate this evolving landscape together.

Best regards,
Jill Mortali
Director of Sponsored Projects

Office of Sponsored Projects

January 29, 2025

Dear faculty colleagues,

As the president and provost indicated in their message last night (see below), we continue to assess federal executive orders and agency directives for potential impacts to Dartmouth. 

Today, the Office of Management and Budget rescinded its memo from earlier this week that directed federal agencies to temporarily pause new awards and grant disbursements to universities, state and local governments, nonprofits, and other entities.

As is always the case, individual funding agencies may still issue “stop work" orders on specific grants that they determine are in violation of executive orders. They may also choose to stop awarding new grants. 

To reiterate last night’s message, faculty, staff, students, and post-docs supported by federal funding should continue their normal activities unless otherwise informed by Dartmouth’s Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP).

OSP will continue to be in direct contact with PIs whose awards or contracts are impacted by new and emerging federal guidance. Please continue to monitor the OSP website for further updates and direct all questions to sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu.

Best,

Jill Mortali
Director of Sponsored Projects

Office of the President

Message dated January 28, 2025

Dear faculty colleagues,

The federal government has issued several executive orders and directives this week—and indeed, over the past 24 hours—that are relevant to the conduct of federally sponsored research and contracts. We know there is uncertainty in our community associated with these changes. Although we have limited information, we wanted to update you with what we do know, as well as the actions we are taking to support your work and advocate for Dartmouth and the important role we play in research, discovery, and societal impact.

Two important points:

First, we are not pausing research or grant spending on existing awards at this time. Faculty, staff, students, and post-docs supported by federal funding should continue their normal activities unless otherwise informed by Dartmouth’s Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP). Please share this information with your research team members who are not receiving this message directly.

Second, OSP has been and will continue to be in direct contact with PIs whose awards or contracts are impacted by new and emerging federal guidance. OSP has thus far received communications from USDA, NASA, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation with guidance related to active grants through those agencies. The National Institutes of Health clarified some elements of its communication freeze, while the NSF has joined NIH in canceling some review panel meetings.

We have also reviewed the Office of Management and Budget memo that directs federal agencies to temporarily pause new awards and grant disbursements to universities, state and local governments, nonprofits, and other entities until Feb. 10. Additional statements from the White House this afternoon suggest that only funding related to recent federal executive orders will be affected by this pause. Again, OSP will be in direct contact with PIs whose awards or contracts are impacted.

Dartmouth is carefully assessing all federal policy updates, as are many of our peer universities, and we are in close contact with the professional organizations we are involved in (such as the Association of American Universities) and the federal agencies themselves.

Please reach out to OSP Director Jill Mortali via sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu with all questions regarding the impact of executive orders and agency announcements on your grant awards. The OSP staff is also available to consult with anyone in the process of preparing grant proposals, and they are compiling all available updates and incoming guidance on the OSP website.

We are working closely with your deans as this situation evolves. Our goal, as always, is to ensure the important research our faculty, staff, and students conduct is supported and that we are in compliance with applicable laws. We are navigating this process with you and will continue to send updates as we have them.

Sincerely,

Sian Leah Beilock 
President

David Kotz ’86
Provost

OSP Announcement About Federally Funded Research 2025

Friday January 24, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

Several Executive Orders were issued this week that are relevant to the conduct of federally sponsored research and contracts.

Dartmouth’s Office of Sponsored Projects has received its first communication from a federal agency (NASA) with guidance on permitted activities under existing grants and contracts as well as how the orders will impact previously issued solicitations and requests for proposals.

We are also aware of the moratorium on certain agency communications and activities, which, at the moment, does not appear to be inconsistent with other periods of transition between presidential administrations. The current pause on study section and advisory council meetings at the National Institutes of Health also appears similar to actions taken in the past during temporary federal shutdowns.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we are carefully assessing all federal policy changes related to your important research. We will be in direct contact with PIs whose awards or contracts are impacted by new federal guidance and are available to consult with those of you who are in the process of preparing grant proposals.

Otherwise, please contact our office (sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu) with any questions regarding compliance with grant terms/permitted activities, funding concerns, or proposal submissions.

Thank you for your patience as we work through these new expectations and requirements. We will share new information as it becomes available via our investigator listserv and our department grant management listserv.