University funds spur progress for defunded research teams

Bridge funding for research programs whose external funding was at least partially interrupted is supporting 16 projects so far, with another application in the request cue. Nearly $500,000 in university funds has been awarded since June through the temporary stop-gap funding program (PDF), said vice president for research Peter Dorhout. The top priority for funds is to get graduate students to degree completion.

In the wake of cuts to many federal agency-sponsored research programs since January, the emergency funding program emerged from a series of listening sessions his office hosted last spring with faculty and staff, amidst a lot of anxiety. 

"If it was your project that was canceled, it was really a bad day for you and your life was turned upside down," he said. "When we took a snapshot in February, we had 1,152 active grants and contracts on that day."

An oft-repeated theme during the listening sessions was support for the research teams, he said.

"It was clear after a few rounds that our more established faculty were concerned about supporting their graduate students who, through no fault of their own, had funding taken away," he said. "Particularly if they were close to finishing, could we help them complete their degree?"

President Wendy Wintersteen identified financial resources for grants that would serve as temporary graduate assistantships and staff support. The stop-gap funding application included the expectation for cost-sharing by the college, department or faculty member to make the funds go further.

"We really wanted the faculty to provide the solution. We wanted a bridge to somewhere, not a bridge to nowhere," he said. "Faculty stepped up to put one-page proposals together."

Dorhout said the 16 awards are supporting 12 graduate students and eight post docs or staff members. His team has metrics to track the awards, with December approaching as a first target to learn if any of those students graduate.

Coming through on the other side

Overall, Iowa State came away from the federal research upheaval "relatively unscathed," Dorhout said.

Of those 1,152 contracts in the February snapshot, 22 projects were terminated. Some of those 22 were completed, nearly at the end of their funding or didn't have graduate students -- which is why there weren't 22 applications for assistance, he said.

Federal funding for research in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 remains a bit murky. After President Donald Trump proposed staggering cuts in his budget proposal, negotiations in Congress this summer recommended appropriations at levels close to this year's. However, the appropriations bills haven't passed yet. It's a "different unpredictability," Dorhout said, adding he's hopeful stability will return to the government's research investments.

Two positives emerged from the anxiety and uncertainty, he said:

• "We've created a process and policies in place so we can respond even more quickly next time. There will always be a case when someone's grant goes away in the middle of funding."
• "Caring for our people isn't going away. This program gives graduate students an element of trust that this university will see them through to their degree. If I'm a staff member paid on a grant, I know the university will do what it can to assist me in staying with my program or finding another opportunity."