In the event of a federal government shutdown, it is expected that grant submission systems will continue to be operational, and proposals should still be submitted on time. While proposals received by federal agencies will not be processed until normal operations resume, submitting them as scheduled ensures they are in queue for review once activities restart.
Although awards will not be issued during a shutdown, work on existing federal awards should continue unless IU is specifically notified to the contrary by the funding agency.
No cost extension (NCE) requests should continue to be submitted in accordance with normal agency timelines. While these requests will not be processed by federal agencies until operations resume, early submission will help avoid delays. Similarly, any actions requiring prior approval by the funding agency should continue to be routed to ORA and will be submitted, even though processing may be delayed by the federal government until the shutdown ends. Taking these steps now will help maintain momentum and readiness once full operations resume.
The links below provide specific agency details on their contingency plans:
- FY 2026 DHHS Contingency Staffing Plan for Operations
- NIH Contingency Guidance
- FDA Contingency Guidance
- CONTINGENCY PLAN GUIDANCE FOR CONTINUATION OF OPERATIONS IN THE ABSENCE OF AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS - DoD
- Shutdown furlough guidance issued by NASA
- Lapse in Funding for Department of Homeland Security
- PLAN FOR THE CONTINUATION OF LIMITED ACTIVITIES DURING A LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS (Department of Labor)
- U.S. Department of Education Contingency Plan for Lapse in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Appropriations
- Agency Contingency Plans in the Event of a Lapse in Appropriations - EPA (Updated March 2025)
- Updated Guidance on Operations During a Lapse in Appropriations (Department of State, Updated March 2025)
- National Science Foundation Assistance and Contract-Related Policy and Systems Issues During a Lapse in Appropriations (September 2023)