The federal government shutdown will temporarily affect University of Idaho research operations, university officials say.
Christopher Nomura, the Vice President of the Office of Research and Economic Development at UI, issued a memo on Oct. 1 detailing the impacts the shutdown may have on university operations.
Federal contracts will likely receive a stop-work order unless the work is determined to be essential by the funding agency. While payments may be stalled or held depending on the agency, most grants and cooperative agreements will be able to continue with minimal disruption, he wrote.
Federal laboratory spaces will be restricted or closed, and agency system access may be restricted. Proposal submissions may also be paused.
“We have not yet received guidance for operations from the government or sponsoring agencies, but we anticipate receiving operation plans from each agency,” Nomura wrote in the memo.
ORED plans to publish updates on its Government Shutdown site, which currently has FAQs and some agency plans. The office asks anyone who receives direct guidance from an agency during this period to share the information with the Office of Sponsored Programs at [email protected].
“It is imperative that only essential operational expenditures are incurred during the government shutdown period. With agencies closed and federal payment systems inaccessible, we will not be reimbursed by sponsors during the shutdown and thus must be prudent to ensure we can continue operations for the shutdown’s duration,” Nomura wrote.
After the U.S. Senate failed to pass a government funding bill on Sept. 30, all federal agencies are required to furlough, or temporarily lay off, any non-excepted employees.
Excepted employees include those who protect life and property, according to AP News, and will continue to work during a shutdown, but will not be paid until after it ends. Furloughed employees will also be paid retroactively once the shutdown ends.
Many federally issued funds are also halted. While essential services such as health care, Social Security and Veterans Affairs will continue, any funding deemed non-essential will pause, including many research grants.
Dakota Steffen can be reached at [email protected].