Preparing for a potential government shutdown

From: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
Sent: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, 10 a.m.
To: KU Lawrence/Edwards faculty & academic staff and research support staff

Dear Colleagues,

Although we remain hopeful that Congress can vote to keep the government operating before the current continuing resolution expires on Oct. 1, we are making plans to weather a shutdown.

Work on most active, federally funded projects — including grants, cooperative agreements and contracts — can continue during a shutdown, unless the project passes its end date or the funding agency explicitly communicates that work must stop. Award Management Services will notify investigators of any agency communications related to work stoppage as soon as we receive them; at this time, we have not received any notices from agencies signaling an intent to stop work. Work stoppage is much more likely on federal contracts than grants or cooperative agreements, but we will share any relevant agency communication with impacted investigators.

We have cash reserves sufficient to continue to pay personnel for the duration of a shutdown, unless it continues much longer than anyone anticipates. 

Several important reminders in the event of a federal shutdown:

  • It will not be possible to reach program officers or other personnel at funding agencies until the government reopens. If you anticipate a need to contact an agency official, now is the time to do so.
     
  • AMS will continue to work with PIs on upcoming reports, requests for no-cost extensions or other matters; agency approvals may not be processed while agency personnel are furloughed. Please work with AMS if you have pending agency tasks that are necessary to ensure that work can continue.
     
  • Pre-Award Services will continue to help submit proposals with deadlines that occur during a shutdown. We encourage early submission because help desks may not be staffed to assist with electronic submission issues.
     
  • We will provide regularly updated Government Shutdown Information on the KU Research website. Please consult the webpage for the latest information.

The KU research community has managed through previous government shutdowns, and we are well-prepared to handle most scenarios if Congress does not come to an agreement on appropriations or a continuing resolution by Oct. 1. Please contact Alicia Reed at amreed@ku.edu to let us know if there is anything we can do to help you minimize the impact of a government shutdown on your research program.

Respectfully,
Shelley

Shelley Hooks
Vice Chancellor for Research