With a potential government shutdown looming at the end of the week, I'm writing to convey some shutdown guidance. While the potential shutdown is only a "partial" one, the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Institutes of Health, would be affected and would likely close for the duration of the shutdown. Unlike previous shutdowns, some agencies will not be affected; the agencies listed below have been separately funded via a recently signed bill and would not be affected by this weekend's shutdown:

Proposals due to the agencies listed in the bullets above can be submitted normally, even if a partial shutdown occurs. Proposals intended for any closed agencies, such as CDC or NIH, will be put on hold and will be submitted after the government reopens. Please note that work on already-funded federal grants and contracts may proceed during a shutdown unless you receive a Stop Work order directly from your funding agency.  If you receive such a notice, kindly forward a copy to fed2025admintransition@brown.edu.

Note that staff members for affected agencies (including Grants Management and Program Officers) will be unavailable to assist with issues and questions during a shutdown. When the government last closed in late 2025, we heard from many faculty and staff members who experienced hardships because they were unable to speak with their usual points of contact. I advise that if you have any questions related to upcoming proposals or other time-sensitive queries, you reach out to your federal counterparts before the end of the week.

Please feel free to contact your Pre-Award Specialist if you need any additional information.