UPDATE (4.17.25): The following post has been updated to reflect new details of the university research funding program.
On March 12, the University of Michigan shared an overview of a new research funding program that has been developed in response to federal stop-work orders impacting the university’s research enterprise.
Program Background
In response to federal stop-work orders impacting our research enterprise, the deans, executive vice presidents, and the VPRI of the University of Michigan have developed a transition plan that allows units to manage uncertainty related to funding stoppages, mitigate impacts to staff, and reduce risk to health and safety with respect to critical research already underway.
Learn more about this new program below, and please continue to visit the OVPR website for updates on research agency directives.
Program Overview
A fixed amount of central resources has been made available to researchers who have received a termination of funding or permanent stop-work order from a federal agency. The program is effective immediately and applies to our Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, as well as Michigan Medicine.
Requests for funding will be submitted by the dean’s office of each respective school and college. The request will require attestation that the submission meets the program requirements, which include documentation that the funding requested is for a grant that has received a formal termination of funding or permanent stop-work order from a federal agency.
Individual faculty will not apply directly to the program.
Eligibility Criteria
This program supports researchers who have received a termination of funding or permanent stop-work order from a federal agency. Funding delays and typical grant life-cycle non-renewals are not included at this time.
The application must be submitted from the appropriate dean’s office. Funding must be for U-M specific costs. Costs for expenses at subrecipient organizations are not eligible.
Proposals will consist of an application document that will be brief explanations of the impact of the termination of funding or permanent stop-work order on research staff, faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows, human research participants and research infrastructure. All proposals must be approved and submitted by the applicant’s dean or institute leadership prior to submission. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted.
Researchers should contact their dean’s office to understand if their work is eligible to be funded through this new program. Individual faculty will not apply directly to the program.
Eligible Expenses & Access Criteria
Central support would cover up to 50% of eligible research costs for up to six months, with units covering the remaining expenses. It is the unit’s responsibility to recommend the match from central funds that they are seeking.
Central funding can be used to:
- Support salaries, benefits, supplies, and other needed direct expenses for employees and PhD students who cannot be reassigned to other work and have lost salary coverage as a result of cancellation of the federal grant.
- Safely wind down certain studies involving human subjects.
Centers and institutes whose primary source of internal funding is a central unit (rather than a school or college) will be evaluated based on a review of the unit’s ratio of cash reserves to revenue – there would still be an expectation of shared funding.
Note: Equipment expenses are generally not eligible, unless they are necessary to protect the health and safety of participants.
Funding Source, Duration, and Review
Central funding is composed of a fixed amount of resources. We will evaluate initial funding decisions and reassess the current amount of funding reserved for this program on a quarterly basis, at minimum.
Application Review Process
Applications will undergo review by ORSP and Sponsored Programs to confirm eligibility and ensure submission accuracy.