Sent to the Administrative Email List, all federal PIs, research associate deans, other academic leaders, and central and departmental research administrators by the Research and Innovation Office.
Dear Colleagues,
You are receiving this message because you are a leader or researcher at the University. Please share this information with your teams as appropriate.
We recognize and appreciate that we are in a period of change that presents significant challenges and uncertainty for our research community. We deeply value your unwavering commitment to advancing the University of Minnesota’s mission despite this uncertainty and challenge. Your commitment is invaluable—not only to our University but to the broader scientific, academic, and public service sectors that we collectively serve, in Minnesota and across our nation and world.
Please know, the University is highly focused on, strongly committed to, and actively advocating on your behalf to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of federal executive orders and budgetary adjustments. Our leadership, supported by a dedicated team of experts in finance, human resources, federal regulations, and research administration, is working tirelessly to assess these developments and implement strategies that will minimize disruption to our research and academic endeavors.
As part of this effort, we are closely monitoring legal developments and agency actions, including temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, to protect our research portfolio. As of Friday, March 21, the University had received approximately 21 “stop work” or termination notices from multiple federal agencies, including the Department of State, USAID, USGS, USDA, the Department of Education, DOE, and NIH. These termination notices have resulted in work being stopped on these projects, affecting critical research efforts across multiple disciplines. Among these impacted projects are:
- The Great Lakes Thriving Communities Technical Assistant Center (TCTAC)
TCTAC is an $8 million project led by Prof. Bonnie Keeler in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. TCATC was established to assist community organizations in navigating federal funding opportunities for climate and environmental projects, guiding them from proposal development to grant implementation. TCTAC has helped advance critical energy, water, and natural resources projects across a six state region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and 37 federally recognized Tribal nations. As of February 21, 2025, TCTAC services have been suspended due to the termination of their federal EPA grant. More than 100 open requests are currently halted by this termination, and $6 million of already obligated funding slated to perform this work over the next three-and-a-half years is now unavailable. - Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant
The University of Minnesota recently lost a TQP grant intended to train special education teachers across rural, urban, and suburban districts. As of March 17, the US District Court in Maryland ordered the US Department of Education to reinstate TQP grants within five days.
If you receive a stop work order, please promptly share it with your SPA Grant and Contract Officer to ensure the University can support those impacted.
The University of Minnesota is deeply engaged in advocacy efforts through key higher education organizations such as AAU, APLU, AAMC, ACE, and COGR. In addition, we are in regular and ongoing discussions with our Congressional delegation. These advocacy efforts are making a difference, as seen in recent legal rulings, reinstatement of NSF employees, and the resumption of critical NIH study sections.
We are sharing stories about University of Minnesota research and innovation with our federal delegations. We want to do even more to highlight the significant impact that University of Minnesota research has on our state, nation, and world. These stories are essential for showing how University research fosters innovation, creates jobs, and drives economic growth. By illustrating how academic discoveries lead to new industries, skilled workforces, and real-world solutions, we help Congress and the public see the profound difference that research makes in shaping a brighter future. JoonHyung Cho, our assistant vice president for external affairs and communications, is collecting those stories and will assemble and share them with our state and federal delegations. Please reach out to Joon ([email protected]) with your stories.
While the situation continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: our unwavering commitment to supporting you. We encourage you to continue to stay focused on your work as normally as possible. Our SPA Federal Impacts website provides the latest updates and guidance, including specific information on spending funds in advance of an award.
Your resilience, innovation, and dedication define the University of Minnesota. As we navigate these challenging times together, please know that we are here to support you every step of the way. We will continue to advocate for responsible policies that uphold the integrity of research and protect the values that make our institution strong.
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Shashank Priya
Vice President for Research and Innovation