Federal Updates

On Feb. 27 Dean William J. Karpus sent a message to graduate students, with graduate program contacts copied, to reaffirm the university’s commitment to supporting current graduate students, amid the national uncertainty of the extramural funding landscape.

On Feb. 26, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) passed an action item supporting continued funding for the four national Dairy Business Innovation Centers, including the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), which is a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association that is housed at UW–Madison.

On Feb. 18, the Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and Council on Government Relations submitted a letter to the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget expressing concerns about recent disruptions to federally funded research in the U.S

Several media outlets are reporting that federal employees, including some agencies that the university works with closely, have been receiving notice of layoffs. The Office of Federal Relations is continuing to monitor these and other developments and the potential impact on UW-Madison operations.

As uncertainty continues around the emerging federal landscape and another election season nears, UW–Madison employees should be mindful of political activity and public advocacy guidelines.

A message from university leaders on National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s announced reduction in how it would provide funding to schools like UW–Madison for the expenses associated with doing grant-funded scientific and medical research. Update: A temporary restraining order was granted in the case of 22 states, including Wisconsin, filing suit against the NIH and its 15% funding cap on indirect costs. The court action blocks the changes. A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 21.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is one of the world’s leading engines of biomedical research. This proposed change to NIH funding – UW–Madison’s largest source of federal support – will significantly disrupt vital research activity and delay lifesaving discoveries and cures related to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and much more.

We want to make you aware of an important change announced by National Institutes of Health on Friday, Feb. 7. The NIH has implemented a standardized indirect cost (IDC) rate of 15% across all NIH grants, replacing individually negotiated rates. This applies to both new grants and existing grants retroactively to the date of issuance of this guidance.

There continues to be a great degree of upheaval at the federal level, even in the last few days, that has a direct impact on our research enterprise. A significant positive development came Friday evening in the form of a temporary restraining order (TRO) related to the Jan. 27 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum that said that federal agencies cannot pause funding obligations while the review is ongoing.