Impacts of a Government Shutdown
Update, 10/6/23
On Saturday, Congress defied expectations and averted a government shutdown with a last-minute agreement to keep federal agencies operating at current funding levels through November 17th. The continuing resolution was supposed to provide both chambers more time to complete work on the fiscal year 2024 spending bills, which remain unfinished. However, legislative action is currently on hold in the US House of Representatives after a group of Republicans moved to remove Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker of the House on Tuesday afternoon. House Republicans intend to return to Washington next week to identify his successor. Until a new Speaker is named, the House cannot advance legislation.
As you’ve likely seen in the news, the risk of a government shutdown when the federal fiscal year ends on September 30 is very high. We strongly encourage BU research teams with federal funding to learn more about potential shutdown impacts, as described below.
Shutdown Impacts and Considerations
- Seek programmatic advice from federal agencies before September 30: Faculty exploring or applying to new federal funding programs who have questions about programs of interest should communicate with grant program managers before September 30. Program managers/officers cannot schedule meetings or respond to questions about grant programs if the government shuts down.
- Prepare for award announcements to be delayed: Faculty waiting on award announcements for already submitted proposals should know that a government shutdown may lead to delays in award announcements. Past government shutdowns have led to delays of up to three to five months due to the backlog of work at federal agencies and the difficulty of rescheduling review panels once the government reopens. Similarly, expected new grant programs will be delayed as the federal government is not allowed to establish new grant programs during a government shutdown.
- Adhere to posted guidelines for grant submissions or nominations: Faculty should follow posted guidelines and deadlines for grant applications. In the past, some agencies have extended proposal deadlines after the government reopens.
- Alert BU Sponsored Programs if your federally funded grant is ending and in need of an extension in October or November 2023: Because grants cannot be extended during a shutdown, faculty seeking an extension for an award should work closely with Sponsored Programs to ensure their research is able to continue—or pause with minimal disruptions—until an official federal extension can be secured at the conclusion of a shutdown.
- Stay up-to-date: Each agency is expected to post updated contingency plans for its operations should the government shutdown, providing further details for each agency.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this evolving situation. The University will continue to monitor the federal landscape and report on new developments. Please follow the Research Admin blog for the latest. If you have any questions, please contact Sponsored Programs at ospera@bu.edu.