Research
Research at Northwestern is vital to the University’s mission of improving health, safety and quality of life worldwide. It also promotes economic growth across the Chicago region, the nation and the world.
In a changing national policy landscape, Northwestern regularly reviews how to best support its research efforts and provides timely updates to the community. This page summarizes the current federal research environment and reflects the University’s dedication to transparency, stewardship and ongoing engagement.
Federal Research Environment at Northwestern
Northwestern's research enterprise is operating under standard University processes. Proposal submissions, award administration, reimbursements, subawards, compliance activities and other research operations are proceeding normally.
Federal Action
- July 28, 2026: National Institutes of Health Announcement: Release of the U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research
- July 8, 2026: National Science Foundation dear colleague letter on Prohibition on Collaborations with Restricted Entities
- June 18, 2026: National Institutes of Health request for information on Measuring and Rewarding Scientific Impact
- June 8, 2026: National Institutes of Health request for public input on the outline of a proposal to cap the number of simultaneous research project grants per principal investigator
- May 29, 2026: OMB and federal agency proposed revisions to Uniform Guidance
- May 27, 2026: National Institutes of Health reminder on Definition of Foreign Components
Recent Northwestern communications
- Aug. 3, 2026: Response to proposal to cap the number of simultaneous grants that can be held by a Principal Investigator
- July 27, 2026: New Federal Restrictions: Equipment, Services, and Collaborations
- July 14, 2026: Response to proposed federal research funding regulation revision
- June 10, 2026: Proposed federal research funding regulation revisions
- April 20, 2026: Federal Access Requirements: Mandatory and Now Being Enforced
Resources
Members of the Northwestern research community can access guidance and support through the following channels:
- Office for Research – Federal research policy, strategic initiatives, research security and institutional guidance
- Research Compliance – Human subjects, animal research, biosafety, conflict of interest, export controls and other regulatory compliance
- Sponsored Research – Proposal development, award negotiation and sponsored project administration
- Accounting Services for Sponsored Research and Projects (ASRSP) – Sponsored project accounting, financial reporting and post-award financial management