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FAQs on the Agreement with the Federal Government to Restore Research Funding

Given the unique circumstances and terms of Northwestern's agreement with the federal government, as well as the time the government has in the agreement to perform certain key terms, the answers below reflect our current understanding and guidance. We will update these FAQs as we learn more. We appreciate your patience and partnership as we work together to restore all research activities.

For more information about the agreement, including topics that extend beyond research, view the University’s announcement and FAQs. Please do not hesitate to share information with us if you learn something helpful that is not reflected in the FAQs below.

Sponsored Research guidance following the November 28, 2025 announcement

What was announced on November 28?

Northwestern University announced that it reached an agreement with the federal government to restore the frozen federal funding to the University and resolve investigations by the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services.

When will the federal funding flow again?

We expect overdue payments and frozen renewals to resume quickly, on a normal cycle, once the agreement takes effect. We also expect funds that were approved but could not be accessed to begin flowing, and for the University to have no restrictions on obtaining future federal research grants.

Is it expected that National Institutes of Health (NIH) reimbursements will be paid in full?

Yes, it is anticipated that NIH will reimburse Northwestern for all allowable expenses.

When will interim funding guidelines (hiring/travel/equipment/NIH subawards) cease?

Once our funds are unfrozen, we will relax the Interim Guidance on Support for Research that was provided in the spring for research impacted by the freeze. However, Northwestern’s budget faces many pressures beyond federal research funding. The measures taken this spring and summer related to the FY 2026 budget were implemented to ensure the University is on sound financial footing as we reinforce the long-term financial health of the institution.

Can expenses not allowed during interim funding (such as travel and academic year salary) be retroactively charged?

For NIH awards, sponsored expenses can be charged retroactively so long as they follow University, NIH, and federal guidelines, and are within the project period of the award.

For DOD awards, we do not yet have enough information from the relevant agencies on how the stop-work orders will be reversed to answer this question at this time.

How soon should my NIH subaward partners expect their subaward agreement?

Issuance of subaward agreements is a collaborative process between Sponsored Research, the department research administrator, the PI, and the subsite. To expedite the process in anticipation of interim guidance being lifted, research administrators will be given access to submit the required documentation to Sponsored Research (SR), allowing SR to move forward with the draft subaward agreement. However, agreements will not be issued until interim guidance is lifted.

Will subawards be issued retroactively so expenses incurred during the at-risk period can be invoiced?

Yes, so long as the notice of award has a retroactive start date that aligns with the subaward project period and the subaward collaborator(s) performed work during the at-risk period.

What will be communicated to NIH subaward partners? What should faculty/RAs communicate to them?

Sponsored Research plans to send a who were issued a stop-work order since June 20, 2025. This message will confirm the stop-work order is lifted and invoicing can resume. This message will be shared with the community. Faculty and research administrators can reshare the Sponsored Research message as needed/preferred, however we ask that direct communication and questions about the lift and invoicing occur directly between subawardees and SR or ASRSP.

How will issuance of NIH subawards without current agreements be prioritized?

, Sponsored Research will prioritize issuance of subawards for those that have a project period end date from June 21, 2025, through December 31, 2025, and subawards with the oldest start date. Issuance is dependent on SR receiving the completed agreement smart form and required documents in CERES from the administrative department contact.

When will DOD stop-work orders be lifted?

As these are received, Sponsored Research will communicate them to the Principal Investigator, research administrator, and school. SR and ASRSP are actively reaching out to DOD federal agencies to obtain more information.

How soon can I start charging expenses to the DOD grant chartstring for a project that was under a stop-work order?

Once SR receives a lift to the individual stop-work order, SR will reopen the DOD grant chartstring.

When will expenses from the 171 accounts need to be transferred to the grant chartstring?

Immediately upon receipt of notification of a stop-work order lift. Costs incurred and transferred to sponsored chart strings must align with the date the stop-work order is lifted, of which we do not know yet.

For projects that ended during the stop-work order period, can a retroactive no-cost extension be requested?

SR can inquire with the sponsor on whether a No-Cost Extension can be submitted, given the unique situation. The department research administrator should request a no-cost extension in CERES to begin this process.

When should PIs expect their next increment of DOD funding given the pause on increments over the past six months?

Principal investigators should inquire with their program officers on when they should expect the next increment of funding and share this information with their research administrators.

Is there any indication that the budget period dates will be adjusted to align with the effective date of the funding restoration agreement, or will they remain as previously awarded?

Unknown. We will have to wait and see how the amendments to lift the stop-work order are issued.

Will there be changes to at-risk and advance account procedures that were implemented during the freeze?

For the time being, at-risk and advance account procedures will remain as is. However, discussions are underway to determine if changes will be made.

How is Northwestern handling NIH closeout emails? Do faculty or RAs need to take action on these?

Northwestern will continue to handle all closeout emails in accordance with established procedures, consistent with prior practice. The central offices will contact departments if action is needed.

Who should PIs contact with questions about their specific grant?

PIs should first discuss any questions with their department administrators. However, if the department is unable to resolve the question, please contact: