A message about the government shutdown
October 01, 2025
Editor's note: This message was emailed Sept. 30 to Iowa State employees. It includes links to federal resources and information as well as a campus contact for researchers with grant-related questions.
Dear Colleagues,
As of the afternoon of September 30, nearly all the appropriations bills for the 2026 federal fiscal year had been finalized, but without passage of these bills, or a continuing resolution, all or portions of the federal government will shut down on October 1, 2025 –- the start of the 2026 federal fiscal year.
It is difficult to project the impact a temporary shutdown of the federal government would have on Iowa State's research programs. Though minimal at first, the effects on our enterprise could grow if a shutdown extends from days to weeks. During a shutdown, the staffs of most agencies will not be working, which could delay the review of submitted proposals, stall awards, discontinue the processing of administrative post-award actions, and halt grant payments.
Principal investigators working on already existing federally funded projects should continue to meet the deadlines outlined in their award agreements. Annual and final project reports and Project Outcome Reports should continue to be submitted to federal sponsors.
If a shutdown occurs for an extended period, it will take some time for the federal government to resume full operations, so do not expect grants and contracts to be immediately issued the day or week after the shutdown ends.
Our office –- in tandem with ISU Federal Relations and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration –- will keep you posted on the possibility of a shutdown and the impacts should a shutdown occur. We also encourage you to visit these sites for more information:
- The American Council on Education has created an excellent general resource focused on government shutdowns and higher education.
- The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has a news section on their website with ongoing updates: APLU Federal Government Shutdown Resources.
- If you experience an interruption of your grant, please reach out to fedfunds2025@iastate.edu.
I wish you continued success in your research and scholarly pursuits.
Peter Dorhout, vice president for research