Dear Colleagues, 

Like many of you, we have been following the rapid developments coming out of the new administration over the past couple of weeks. A number of federal agencies are continuing to update their policies and solicitations in response to recent White House executive orders. Several of you have shared questions about potential impact on your Research and Creative Achievement (RCA) activities.

We recognize that many of our UMBC colleagues and investigators are concerned and are looking for guidance. At this time, we are still assessing the impact on our funded programs and what steps we may need to take to follow these directives.

We are in close contact with other institutions in USM, as well as with national organizations to determine the best course of action to respond to the executive orders and the directives by the federal agencies. 

As an institution, we are closely monitoring the executive orders and agency directives and are working on understanding the potential impact on our RCA community. We will navigate these challenges together and will provide more information as it becomes available. Here is some guidance we can provide you at this time:

Pre-submission and pre-award:

• Our Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will continue to submit proposals as submission systems at federal agencies are operational. 
• As proposal deadlines approach, please check program websites and solicitations for any updates on due dates or requirements to ensure that your proposal is compliant.
• Sponsor proposal review timelines may be extended. Please continue to review specific sponsor guidelines regularly to ensure you have the most up-to-date information. 
• Consider signing up for alerts from the agencies you apply to. 

Existing awards:

• Please continue with business as usual. The terms and conditions of your active grant remain enforceable for the current funding period as long as the award is in good standing. This includes the ability to invoice and receive reimbursement. If there is a change to your award, OSP will notify the unit business office and principal investigator. Agencies are required to notify us if there will be changes to your funding once the contract is in place.
• Try to remain in contact with your program officers but be aware that some of them may have a pause on communications.
• Monitor policy updates from the federal agency overseeing your grant for any updates on funding or compliance requirements. See also the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) resource page linked below.
• If PIs or RAs receive any award modifications or other notices, please forward them to the OSP as soon as possible (cc your unit business office), so that these can be reviewed and processed quickly.
• Notify OSP (and cc your unit business office) if you receive a "Stop Work" notice from a federal sponsor for an award. A stop work order typically means that all project work needs to stop immediately and no expenses can be incurred on the project as of the effective date of the stop work notice. In this case, principal investigators should work with their unit business office (department administrator), who will work with the post-award support staff and your unit’s OSP manager to determine the appropriate next steps.
• Closely monitor obligated budget balances to avoid deficits while awaiting future obligations. Anticipated future funding remains subject to availability of funds and should not be considered guaranteed.
• Make sure to meet existing deadlines for technical reports or other deliverables.
• If you have questions about your awards, please contact your unit business office, who should be in contact with your unit’s assigned OSP grants and contracts manager.

COGR resource page on executive orders and agency directives

The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) has developed the 2025 Administration Transition Information and Resources webpage that compiles recent executive orders, agency directives, and other information that is relevant to upcoming and current federal contracts and grants.

Sincerely,

Karl V. Steiner

Vice President for Research and Creative Achievement

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

UMBC has also created a website to serve as a central hub of relevant campus resources and information. Campus communications related to the Trump administration’s orders and actions will be housed there, as well as an updated list of resources related to federal actions that may impact UMBC. 

In the 1960s, Black writers in Baltimore utilized Chicory, a poetry magazine published by the Enoch Pratt Free Library from 1966-1983, as an artistic form for activism. Its five editors published the work by everyone from children to seniors, from social workers to people in prison about everything from bad housing and schools to celebrations of Black joy.  Visit this enlightening exhibition that explores this radical publication.

Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host:

• The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship
• The University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Ian G. Anson, Ph.D.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon!

Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, and our director is Dr. Eric Stokan. Our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D’Juan Moreland (UMBC '24).  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program workshop for CAHSS faculty will take place on Friday, February 21, 12:00-1:00 p.m., in Performing Arts & Humanities Building, room 216. Lunch will be provided at 11:30 a.m.

Space is limited, so please register here by Friday, February 14.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the largest educational exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. The program provides numerous and diverse opportunities for international research, teaching, or both, in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

During this workshop, Dr. Brian Souders, Associate Director for Global Learning in the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) and UMBC’s Fulbright Scholar Liaison, will introduce the 2026-27 Fulbright program to interested faculty and explore ways to create a competitive application. He will be joined by past UMBC faculty Fulbrighters, who will share their experiences.

The Fulbright application process, as well as assistance from the CAHSS Research Centers and CARAT, will also be discussed.

Time will be given for Q&A.

The Fulbright Accelerator is sponsored by the Center for Global Engagement; the Center for Social Science Scholarship (CS3); the Center for Innovation, Research, and Creativity in the Arts (CIRCA); the Dresher Center for the Humanities; and the CAHSS Creative Achievement and Research Administration Team (CARAT).

The NEH Division of Education supports professional development programs for K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and humanities professionals to study a variety of humanities topics. Programs are offered in residential, virtual, and combined formats. Participant stipends are based upon program format and duration.

• Institutes are one to four-week professional development programs that convene K-12 educators or higher education faculty from across the nation to deepen their understanding of significant topics in the humanities and enrich their capacity for effective scholarship and teaching.

• Landmarks of American History and Culture programs are one-week workshops held across the nation that enhance how K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and humanities professionals incorporate place-based approaches to humanities teaching and scholarship.