IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

Potential Government Shutdown

Federal government funding expires tomorrow (March 14) at 10 p.m. Mountain Time. If Congress does not pass a continuing resolution (CR) before then, the federal government will shut down. This means that most federal employees will be furloughed, with only a limited number of essential staff working. 

Given the fluid and uncertain state of the federal government at this time, the impacts of a potential federal government shutdown are not clear and may vary from what has occurred during prior government shutdowns. Below are some potential impacts and recommended actions for researchers of federally sponsored projects. 

Campus leadership and the Office of Grants and Contracts (OGC) are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide information as we learn more about the status of the federal government budget. 

Potential Impacts and Recommended Actions 

• Prior Approvals: Federal agencies will not be able to grant prior approval during a shutdown. Please refer to 2 CFR 200.308 or for NIH awards Chapter 8 of the NIH GPS for actions that may require prior approval. Please note that if a project needs prior approval for an administrative action or cost-related item, the university cannot proceed with that action until we receive prior approval from the agency.  

• No-Cost Extensions (NCE): NCEs that are anticipated within 30 days after March 14 should be submitted promptly. Please work with your OGC Post Award Administrator.  

• Application Deadlines: Continue to meet all application deadlines. Federal agencies have accepted proposals during prior shutdowns, and many of them use electronic systems that remain operational during a shutdown. Deadlines remain unchanged unless the agency officially announces otherwise. 

• Agency Communications: If a shutdown occurs, federal staff may not be available to answer questions or provide clarifications. If you anticipate needing agency guidance, we encourage you to reach out to them as soon as possible. 

• Award Processing: While proposals could be submitted, there would not be any funding decisions during a shutdown.   

• OGC Deadlines: Whether or not there will be a government shutdown, OGC remains fully operational and will continue to assist with proposal review and submission. Please adhere to internal deadlines to ensure timely submission. 

• Interagency Personnel Agreements (IPA): Principal Investigators on IPAs, should immediately contact the federal agency to determine what their status will be beginning March 17.  

• Expiring Budget Periods: If the government shuts down and this coincides with the end of your award budget period, you will need to make internal departmental contingency plans. A federal agency cannot make new awards or release new funding under a non-competing continuation segment until Congress approves a CR.  

• Research Performance Progress Report (RPPRs) and Other Deliverables: Deadlines for RPPRs and other reports and deliverables must be met in accordance with the notice of award.  

• Agency Contingency Plans: All federal agency contingency plans should be provided on the Office of Management and Budget website. The OGC website will provide information about sponsors’ plans should a shutdown occur. 

• Federal Draw Downs: During prior government shutdowns, federal draw systems have remained open.  

• If the government shuts down and the federal systems remain open, we will continue to draw and bill via all federal systems that remain open. We may experience delays for payments if those invoices require a federal employee approval.   

• If the government shuts down and the federal systems do not remain open, catch-up invoices will be submitted once the systems reopen.   

• For federal flow-through projects, we will continue to send invoices on the normal invoicing schedule to those sponsors. 

Financial Services and the Office of Grants and Contracts

Assists University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus faculty in their efforts to secure external support for their instructional, research, public service and scholarly activities.

Get in touch with us