Research resources and guidance in government shutdown
With the federal government shutdown, most of the activities of our federally funded research projects continue without substantive change. As highlighted by University leadership, we can continue with our research activities with the expectation that funds will flow once the government opens back. There are however various disruptions, including these below compiled by the AAMC.
No peer review meetings, advisory council meetings, new awards issuance, or program/grants management activities will occur.
Almost all NIH administrative functions will stop, and many NIH employees will be unable to review or respond to emails, telephone calls, or mail.
The NIH will not hold scientific meetings at NIH facilities, and NIH scientists will not travel to scientific meetings.
Regarding the management of current, active grants, eRA Commons and Grants.gov will be operational, but will not have technical support. It is expected that the drawdown of funds will continue to be available but technical problems and manual approval requirements could delay access to funds.
Reporting deadlines for grantees will remain in place without extension, even if NIH staff cannot review the submissions during furlough. No-cost extension notifications for grants that will lapse during the shutdown should be submitted as usual, but those that require preapproval will not be reviewed.
For grant applications in response to active notices of funding opportunity, submission deadlines will not change, but NIH staff will not be available to answer questions or respond to technical difficulties.
A message from University leadership
The message below was distributed to the JHU community on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
Dear Johns Hopkins Community,
As you may know, if Congress fails to find a government-wide funding agreement, the federal government will effectively shut down tonight, September 30, 2025, at midnight. We continue to monitor negotiations and legislative action in Washington and are prepared to act should this not be resolved quickly.
Past experience with temporary government shutdowns suggests that the work of most faculty, students, and staff at Johns Hopkins would not be seriously hindered and patient care would continue without interruption. The university did not experience any cash flow or other working capital challenges during prior government shutdowns, and government agencies repaid Johns Hopkins for work done on grants during a shutdown once the shutdown was resolved.
However, this moment may differ from past shutdowns given the current environment in Washington. Thanks to careful financial stewardship, we are prepared to weather short-term disruptions and offer the following guidance:
Continuity of operations. Unless explicitly informed otherwise, faculty, staff, and students should continue normal operations for the foreseeable future.
Financial aid. Johns Hopkins students who receive federal financial aid will not be penalized if the shutdown delays their payments to the university. No accounts will be deemed delinquent if disruptions are caused by the interruption in federal spending.
Sponsored research. This year has seen significant changes to the sponsored research landscape, and in the context of a possible shutdown, we continue to monitor related actions of federal government sponsors. Because federal law grants some discretion in how each department or agency manages lapses in funding, specific impacts will not be fully known until the government issues further guidance. For now, we ask that all sponsored activities proceed, unless a stop work order is received or another specific request is made by the federal funder. We will share information about no-cost extensions, new grant applications, and other grant-related issues as we receive information and instructions from federal agencies—and we will let you know if university guidance changes. If you receive any communication directly from federal funding agencies, please do not respond, but share the original communication (or a write-up if verbal) by email with ORA (ora@jhmi.edu) if you are in the School of Medicine, or JHURA (jhura@jhu.edu) for all other divisions. Please also share the communication with the Office of General Counsel (jhulegal@jh.edu) and the TIP Team (JHU-TIP-Team@jhu.edu).
Clinical reimbursement. Mandatory programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are not subject to the annual appropriations process, so clinical reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid will continue uninterrupted.
Travel and immigration status. Johns Hopkins affiliates who are citizens of other nations did not experience any issues regarding their status in the United States during past shutdowns. In addition, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which includes visa and passport operations, is fee-funded and typically is not affected when the government shuts down (although applicants may experience some delays). For more information, please see the Office of International Services website. Students who receive any direct communication from federal agencies (e.g., surveys) are advised not to respond but to contact OIS for guidance.
The university will advise you of any significant or anticipated impacts here at Johns Hopkins in the event of a prolonged shutdown.
Thank you for your continued dedication through this period of uncertainty.
Sincerely,
Ray Jayawardhana
Provost and professor of Physics and Astronomy
Laurent Heller
Executive vice president for finance and administration
Cybele Bjorklund
Vice president for federal strategy and executive director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center