Published December 27, 2018
Please share this important announcement regarding the federal government shutdown with your faculty as appropriate.
A federal government shutdown began December 22, 2018. Some government agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes NIH, are fully funded for this federal fiscal year and should be minimally impacted. Other agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), have not yet been funded for the current fiscal year and have been shut down.
NIH grant processes will continue normally, including availability of NIH program and contract staff to provide routine grant management services. WashU will also be able to continue to draw down payments normally on NIH awards.
The following information is general guidance as to what WashU researchers and their support teams should expect during this shutdown if they are funded by or applying for funding from agencies impacted by the shutdown:
- Researchers with active funded grants may continue work during a shutdown.
- Researchers with active funded contracts may also continue work unless the Principal Investigator (PI) or WashU receives a Stop Work Order for that contract. Please forward any Stop Work Orders received to Joe Gindhart at jgindhart@wustl.edu.
- Affected agencies may not have agency personnel available to assist with prior approvals, support or administrative actions. Changes to grant activities requiring prior approval may need to be delayed as a result.
- Affected agencies may suspend the acceptance of new grant proposals and the issuance of new awards.
We expect the following sponsors to be impacted by the shutdown:
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Department of the Interior
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Commerce (NOAA, NIST, etc.)
- Housing and Urban Development
- Department of State
- Department of Treasury
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Justice
- Environmental Protection Agency
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
Further information will be provided as it becomes available. Please direct specific questions to Joe Gindhart at jgindhart@wustl.edu.