Impact of the Federal Government Partial Shutdown

As you are aware, a partial federal government shutdown has continued into the new year. While NIH and the Department of Education are funded, others such as NSF, NASA, NOAA, USDA, NIST, and NEH are not.

Agency Contingency Plans and FAQs can be found on the OMB website:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/agency-contingency-plans/

SPA has developed the FAQs below to address some questions that members of the Illinois Research Community may have:

Are proposal submissions permitted during the partial shutdown? 

While the answer is agency specific, some agencies are not accepting proposals during the shutdown.

I had a proposal due during the partial shutdown.  Will the deadline be revised once the shutdown has ended?

Until we receive word to the contrary, please continue to work toward the current, published deadline. As with past federal government shutdowns, we expect some, but not all, deadlines will be revised and republished.  Once the specific agency reopens, please watch relevant websites for revised deadlines.

Am I permitted to establish an Anticipation Account knowing that my federal award is delayed due to the shutdown?

If you have a pending award that's in process and is significantly delayed due to the lapse in funding, you may consider the establishment of an anticipation account, with approval from your business unit.  For more information on anticipation accounts, please see https://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/forms/grants-sponsored-projects/

Can I continue to expend on an existing federal award?


As long as the period of performance remains open, you have project funds to expend, and continuing work does not require input or assistance from an agency administrator, you may continue to expend on your existing federal awards.  The exception to this might be the issuance of a stop-work order from the federal agency (see FAQ #5 for more information).

What if my project is subject to a stop-work order during the shutdown?

With past shutdowns, most of the stop-work orders received (a) specifically forbid the use of federal facilities during the shutdown which may, or may not, impact your project; (b) require costs to be minimized or no further costs to be incurred; or (c) require all work to stop as of a specific date.  If you receive a stop-work order, please forward it directly to the attention of Sponsored Programs Administration at spa@illinois.edu.  We will review the order to determine its impact on your project.

What if I have a progress report due during the shutdown?

While the answer is agency specific, progress reports dependent upon submission to a system unique to a closed agency may not be submitted during the shutdown.

What if my project is in need of a no-cost time extension during the shutdown?

Please contact Sponsored Programs Administration at spa@illinois.edu.  Depending on the terms of the original award, we may be able to assist you in issuing a no-cost extension.

Please let us know (spa@illinois.edu) if you have any further questions regarding the impact of the partial federal government shutdown.  We also encourage you to periodically check the various federal agency websites for any changes in their operations during or immediately after the shutdown ends.