2025 Government Shutdown
Introduction
Communications received by OVCR from U.S. federal agencies regarding the effects of the October 1, 2025, government shutdown will be shared below. For additional information, visit COGR's website.
Update on the Government Shutdown - 11/24/2025
The U.S. government shutdown ended on November 12, 2025, following the passage of a funding deal that keeps most federal agencies operating through January 30, 2026. The agreement also includes three separate appropriations bills that provide funding for other government functions through September 2026.
Additional updates will be posted to this page as they become available.
UIC Updates and Resources
10/1/25: Proposal Submission During Federal Government Shutdown
“Dear Colleagues,
Federal electronic submission platforms ASSIST, Grants.gov, and Research.gov remain operational to accept applications during the government shutdown, but helpdesk availability will be limited, and application processing will not occur until operations resume. Please continue to monitor federal sponsor websites for updates or changes to system availability.
If you have any sponsor or grant specific questions, please contact your assigned OSP proposal reviewer. Federal agency updates and other relevant information related to the government shutdown will be added to the OVCR Federal Research Updates webpage as it becomes available.
NIH update: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-004.html
NSF update: https://www.nsf.gov/shutdown
Sincerely,
Kristen Scheurich, CRA”
Agency Updates
10/1/25: Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) – closure notice
Communication received from OLDCC
“The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) is closed until further notice due to the lapse in Federal appropriations. As a result, OLDCC is prohibited by law, from responding to any matter. OLDCC Grantees are authorized to continue grant activities in accordance with grant awards funded with OLDCC program of assistance, during the shutdown.
We regret any inconvenience this may cause, and look forward to responding to your e-mail or other request once we are able to resume operations.
Grantees that need to reset their grants portal password are reminded to use the “Reset Account” button on the log-in page. While payment requests may also be submitted, we will not be able to process them until appropriations are available and our operations resume. The only exception is if there is a demonstrable threat to public health, safety, or protection of property in the absence of a payment.
In the event of a situation involving public health, safety, or protection of property, please contact Colonel Michael Francis at michael.u.francis2.mil@mail.mil.”
10/1/25: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education notice
Communication received from OESE
“Dear Grantees:
We are writing to relay important updates from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education given the lapse in appropriations for the Department of Education (Department) that began Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
While the G5 system and hotline (1-888-336-8930; TTY Telephone: 1-800-877-8339) remain available to grantees, most Department staff are furloughed and therefore not available to respond to requests for technical assistance. Accordingly, we wish to underscore the following:
- The lapse in appropriations (“shutdown”) does not impact your ability to access funds that the Department has already obligated to you. This includes discretionary grants; formula funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and COVID-relief funds available through an approved liquidation extension and requested through the reimbursement process or, as appropriate, route payment process.
- The shutdown suspends the processing of Impact Aid payments. Once the government resumes operations, and the program office receives additional funding for fiscal year 2026, the Department will expedite payments to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs).
Finally, the Department is aware that a small number of grantees across our discretionary, formula, and COVID-relief grant programs have grant conditions with required submissions (e.g., prior year audits or other documentation) that may come due during the shutdown. Grantees with such conditions are encouraged to continue working to supply these required submissions by their given timelines; however, Department staff will be unable to acknowledge receipt of these submissions or otherwise provide support during a shutdown. We will review any grant condition submissions promptly upon resuming regular operations.
Thank you for your extraordinary efforts on behalf of your schools, students, and families. The Department will provide additional information on our website if this general guidance changes.
In partnership,
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education”
10/2/25: HHS ACL funding lapse
Communication received from HHS Administration for Community Living (ACL)
“Dear Financial Assistance Recipient,
As you may be aware, there has been a lapse in appropriated federal funds as of October 1, 2025. Because a funding lapse has occurred, please be advised that HHS, ACL, Grants and Acquisitions Management Staff may not be available to provide normal oversight and administrative support services.
For awards received prior to the lapse in funding, you may be able to continue drawing funds from prior awards during an appropriations lapse. HHS’s Payment Management System will remain operational to continue processing drawdown requests, so that payments can be made for your program. The robust internal controls that currently exist will continue to ensure the integrity of grant drawdown requests and payments. Please note, if you received your notice of grant award with restrictive terms and conditions, or if your drawdown request triggers one of the Payment Management System edit checks and/or the drawdown limit controls, you may not be able to drawdown funds.
If you are considering applying for additional HHS federal financial assistance funding, please be advised that the Grants.gov system will be operational and will be accepting applications. For those programs subject to the funding lapse, the Grants.gov system will accept and store applications until such time as the responsible awarding agency has the authority and funding to return to normal business operations.
Please check our website at www.acl.gov and www.HHS.gov for updates. Thank you for your assistance during this period of government shutdown and your ongoing support of the HHS, ACL, Grants and Acquisitions Management.”
10/1/25: SAMHSA recipient guidance
Communication received from SAMHSA
“Dear Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant Recipients:
As you are aware, the Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 ended on September 30, 2025, and an Appropriation Act for FY 2026 has not yet been passed. Because a funding lapse has occurred, SAMHSA staff will not be available to provide normal oversight and administrative support services.
During the funding lapse, you may continue to work and provide services per the approved budget(s) under active SAMHSA grant programs. You may also continue drawing funds from the Payment Management System for your active SAMHSA grant programs. Please note, if you received your notice of grant award with restrictive terms and conditions, or if your drawdown request triggers one of the Payment Management System edit checks and/or the drawdown limit controls, you may not be able to drawdown funds.
If you are considering applying for additional SAMHSA federal financial assistance funding, please be advised that the Grants.gov system will be operational and will be accepting applications. Due dates on posted notices of funding opportunities are not affected by the funding lapse. For those programs subject to the funding lapse, the Grants.gov system will accept and store applications until SAMHSA has the authority and funding to return to normal business operations.
You are encouraged to stay tuned to the national media to determine when the Federal Government will resume operations. We ask for patience when trying to contact SAMHSA staff once operations resume. There may be a backlog of information to process after the funding lapse.
Below is additional information to answer questions you may have as it relates to your grant or cooperative agreement.
Systems Status:
- eRA: In the event of a lapse in federal appropriations, eRA systems will be operational, but with limited support, and only individuals who have been approved by HHS, Veterans Administration, and the Department of Commerce are allowed to use the eRA systems (i.e., eRA Commons and IMPAC II). Furthermore, use is restricted to excepted activities. Note that access to and use of the eRA systems during this period will be monitored. eRA will provide limited end-user support for excepted/approved staff and excepted programs.
- Payment Management Services: The HHS Program Support Center’s Payment Management Services (PMS) will be operational and retain the necessary staffing in an excepted status to ensure delivery of grant payments. PMS will follow specific processes to ensure payment of permissible disbursements – please refer to PMS’s lapse planning guidance for additional details.
- Grants.gov: In the event of a lapse in federal appropriations, the Grants.gov ecosystem, including the Contact Center, will remain operational. Grants.gov will function in an excepted status, with reduced federal support staff presence. Grantor support will be limited to online self-help and Tier 1 Contact Center support. Problem resolution for system-related challenges may be delayed.
Thank you for your continued partnership with HHS, SAMHSA and for your cooperation as we work together.
Sincerely,
SAMHSA”
10/1/25: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid notice to financial assistance recipients
Communication received from HHS CMS
“As you may be aware, there has been a lapse in appropriated federal fund as of October 1, 2025. Because a funding lapse has occurred, please be advised that HHS’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services staff may not be available to provide normal oversight and administrative support services.
For awards received prior to the lapse in funding, you may be able to continue drawing funds from prior awards during an appropriations lapse. HHS’s Payment Management System will remain operational to continue processing drawdown requests, so that payments can be made for your program. The robust internal controls that currently exist will continue to ensure the integrity of grant drawdown requests and payments. Please note, if you received your notice of grant award with restrictive terms and conditions, or if your drawdown request triggers one of the Payment Management System edit checks and/or the drawdown limit controls, you may not be able to drawdown funds.
If you are considering applying for additional HHS federal financial assistance funding, please be advised that the Grants.gov system will be operational and will be accepting applications. For those programs subject to the funding lapse, the Grants.gov system will accept and store applications until such time as the responsible awarding agency has the authority and funding to return to normal business operations.
Please check our website at www.CMS.gov and www.HHS.gov for updates. All questions regarding your performance during the period of the funding lapse should be directed to OAGMExceptedContractsMailbox@cms.hhs.gov. Thank you for your assistance during this period of government shutdown and your ongoing support of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service.”
10/10/25
Communication received from the DOJ
“The Department of Justice (DOJ) has restored access to the JustGrants grants management system for Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Applicants and grantees will be able to submit grant applications, review and accept recently awarded grants, and submit required performance and Federal Financial Reports (FFRs).
Grantees can submit requests for grant award modifications, removal of award condition withholdings, and award closeouts; however, these requests will not be approved until DOJ staff return from furlough status.
Please note: Once the government reopens, DOJ will examine reporting deadlines impacted by the closure and adjust reporting or application submission deadlines as needed.
At this time, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system remains in service to accept grant drawdown requests.
For urgent JustGrants technical support, please contact JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.”
10/1/25: Federal Government Shutdown and Grantee Guidance
Communication received from the DOJ
“Dear DOJ Award Recipient –
Due to a federal government shutdown, the staff of the DOJ grant-making offices — Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) — are in a furlough status until further notice. As a DOJ award recipient, your entity may generally continue with your scheduled federally funded activities.
We are providing the following information, in question and answer format, regarding the availability of the COPS Office, OJP, and OVW staff, systems, and services.
Impact to Grantee Activities
1) Will I be able to continue activities and projects under my existing DOJ grants or cooperative agreements while the federal government is shut down?
Response: Generally, yes. Grantee activities and projects that are already funded under existing grants using prior federal fiscal year funding will generally be able to continue.
However, the exception to this guidance would be if federal employee involvement is critical to the project or activity being carried out. For example, if the project reaches a decision point that requires federal government approval, such as a grant award modification, approval of a deliverable, or award condition modification, the award recipient would not receive approval of that action until Federal staff are available.
2) Will I be able to request payments and draw down funds while the federal government is shut down?
Response: Yes, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system will remain in service to accept grant drawdown requests.
3) Will grantee-sponsored events (such as conferences, meetings, and trainings) scheduled while the federal government is shut down be affected?
Response: All existing pre-event approval requirements remain in effect.
Most approved grantee-sponsored events (e.g., conferences, meetings, trainings) scheduled while the federal government is shut down generally will not be affected and can proceed as planned. If federal employee participation in these meetings or trainings is critical for these events to proceed, the event cannot be held even if previously approved.
No new events will be approved until DOJ reopens.
4) If we operate a non-.gov website (e.g., .org) with full or partial grant funding from DOJ, are any special actions required?
Response: No. However, DOJ requests that you not push new content or notifications on behalf of DOJ until the shutdown has ended.
Availability of DOJ Staff and JustGrants
1) Will COPS Office, OJP, or OVW staff be available while the federal government is shut down?
Response: No. COPS Office, OJP, and OVW staff are on furlough status and will not be available until the shutdown has ended.
2) Will JustGrants be available while the federal government is shut down?
Response: No. JustGrants will not be available during the shutdown.
Please note: Once reopened, DOJ will examine deadlines impacted by the closure and adjust deadlines for reporting or application submission, as needed.
3) Will a programmatic or financial on-site monitoring visit, enhanced programmatic desk review, or office-based review scheduled during the shutdown still occur?
Response: No. All programmatic and/or financial monitoring scheduled during the period of the funding lapse will be postponed or cancelled. If your DOJ grant manager or financial monitor has not yet contacted you to reschedule the monitoring, expect them to do so once the government is reopened.
Availability of non-DOJ-operated Grants Management Systems
1) Will the General Services Administration (GSA) System for Award Management (SAM) remain operational during a period of a funding lapse?
Response: Yes. GSA’s SAM will remain operational and available to users. Users will be able to submit new entity registrations and renew and update to existing registrations. Users will be able to search for entity registration records and exclusion records on SAM.gov. Please check the Federal Service Desk at www.fsd.gov or the SAM.gov homepage for any changes to SAM’s operating status.
2) Will the S. Department of the Treasury’s (Treasury Department) Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system remain operational during a period of a funding lapse?
Response: Yes. ASAP will remain operational and available to users to accept grant drawdown requests.
3) Will the Grants.gov system remain operational for searching Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and submitting applications?
Response: Yes. Grants.gov will remain available for applicants to search and apply for open NOFOs. The Grants.gov Help Desk will also remain open during its regular 24/7 operating hours; however, the furlough of federal staff may cause delays in responses. Please note that JustGrants is not operational, preventing an applicant from completing its full application in JustGrants. DOJ will examine JustGrants deadlines impacted by the closure and extend as necessary once the shutdown has ended.”
10/1/25: Notice to Recipients
Communication received from HRSA
“Dear Financial Assistance Recipient,
As you may be aware, there has been a lapse in appropriated federal fund as of October 1, 2025. Because a funding lapse has occurred, please be advised that HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration staff may not be available to provide normal oversight and administrative support services.
For awards received prior to the lapse in funding, you may be able to continue drawing funds from prior awards during an appropriations lapse. HHS’s Payment Management System will remain operational to continue processing drawdown requests, so that payments can be made for your program. The robust internal controls that currently exist will continue to ensure the integrity of grant drawdown requests and payments. Please note, if you received your notice of grant award with restrictive terms and conditions, or if your drawdown request triggers one of the Payment Management System edit checks and/or the drawdown limit controls, you may not be able to drawdown funds.
If you are considering applying for additional HHS federal financial assistance funding, please be advised that the Grants.gov system will be operational and will be accepting applications. For those programs subject to the funding lapse, the Grants.gov system will accept and store applications until such time as the responsible awarding agency has the authority and funding to return to normal business operations.
Please check our website at www.HRSA.gov and www.HHS.gov for updates. Thank you for your assistance during this period of government shutdown and your ongoing support of the Health Resources and Services Administration.”
10/1/25: IMLS Closed Due to Partial Government Shutdown
Communication received from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
“The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is closed due to a partial shutdown of the United States Government. Because you are associated with an active award, we want to share the following information with you.
Will IMLS staff be available to answer my questions during the shutdown?
No. IMLS staff will be unavailable, both by email and telephone.
May I continue working on my IMLS grant funded project?
Yes. You may continue to work on your IMLS-funded project, incurring appropriate obligations and/or expenses up to the award amount specified in your official award notification letter, and in accordance with your IMLS-approved budget plan and timeline. Any deliverables and/or award modifications requiring approval from IMLS staff will not be addressed until the government reopens.
May I submit performance and financial reports and/or payment requests during a shutdown?
Yes. You may submit performance and financial reports as well as payment requests during a government shutdown through your eGMS Reach account. These reports will be addressed by the appropriate staff when the government reopens.
Will my institution receive payments during the shutdown?
No. During a funding hiatus, IMLS cannot process requests for payment for its discretionary programs. Payments will resume when the government reopens.
How will I know when IMLS is open again?
Changes in our open status will be announced on our website, www.imls.gov.”
10/1/25: NASA memorandum
Communication received from NSSC Grants Activities Branch
“Dear NASA Grantee:
Appropriations provided under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4) expired at 11:59 pm on September 30, 2025. On September 19, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through November 21. Unfortunately, H.R. 5371 was not passed in the Senate due to unrelated policy demands.
NASA appropriations expired on September 30, 2025. As of October 1, 2025, there are no annual appropriations for Federal Agencies, including NASA. As a result, the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) will be conducting an orderly shutdown on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, with limited exceptions for specific activities, unless the Agency receives additional appropriated funds.
If your institution’s grant or cooperative agreement does require access to a NASA facility or participation from NASA personnel in order to perform the instrument’s stated objectives, the guidance in paragraph (a) below is applicable to your institution. However, if your institution’s grant or cooperative agreement does not require access to a NASA facility or the participation of NASA personnel in order to perform the instrument’s stated objectives, the guidance in paragraph (b) below is applicable to your institution.
(a) NASA has reviewed the activities currently being performed under your entity’s grant or cooperative agreement, specifically those activities being performed onsite at a NASA installation and have determined those activities to not be an “excepted” activity. Therefore, these activities cannot be performed while the NASA installation is shut down and must be suspended at this time, unless the activities can be successfully performed at an offsite location (i.e., non-NASA installation without the participation of NASA personnel and within the funding currently available on your entity’s grant or cooperative agreement). This funding-induced installation shutdown is unlike other times when NASA installations have been closed due to inclement weather or other circumstances.
(b) Since your entity’s grant or cooperative agreement does not require access to a NASA installation or participation of NASA personnel in order to perform the instrument’s stated objectives, your entity is authorized to continue to implement the subject grant or cooperative agreement as long as the instrument has available funding. NASA Form (NF) 1687, NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement, and NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions section 1.7, Incremental Funding, specify the total amount of funding that has been allotted to your entity’s grant or
cooperative agreement. To the extent this grant or cooperative agreement can be implemented without access to a NASA installation or participation of NASA personnel, implementation may continue as long as funds remain available under the applicable award. However, your institution may experience a delay in funding disbursements from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Payment Management System (PMS) during a lapse in appropriations as NASA will not have personnel available to approve payment requests. As such, your institution may exhaust funding that has already been drawn down. Your institution is encouraged to carefully manage all funding that has already been drawn down in support of this award, and your institution may want to minimize activities and costs incurred to preserve funding during a shutdown.
Your institution is also reminded that the Agency is not obligated to reimburse it for the expenditure of amounts in excess of the total funds currently allotted to this grant or cooperative agreement. Also, your institution is not authorized to continue performance beyond the period covered by the allotted funding and is cautioned to closely manage all available funding, as additional funding will not be added to your award while the Agency is without an appropriation. Any activities performed during this shutdown must be carefully planned, taking into account that NASA technical and administrative personnel will not be available to support these activities during this time.
The direction in this letter is in effect until your entity is notified differently by a NASA Grant Officer. This is not expected to happen until appropriations again become available for the Federal Government, including NASA. Once Federal appropriations become available, NASA installations will reopen and funds can be added to your entity’s grant or cooperative agreement as deemed necessary, and Government oversight and administrative personnel will resume their normal duties at that time.
Grant Officer
NSSC/Grants Activities Branch”
10/1/25: Message from the NHPRC Regarding the Government Shutdown
Communication from NHPRC
“Dear Authorized Representatives and Project Directors for grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC):
I am writing to let you know that, due to the federal government shutdown, operations at the National Archives and Records Administration have been interrupted and the NHPRC staff is being furloughed.
I want to assure you that all NHPRC grant awards are fully funded; however, we will be unable to process recently submitted payment requests or any new payment requests until the National Archives receives an appropriation and we are fully operational once again. In addition, we will not be able to review narrative or financial reports or respond to other grant related questions.
Please also note that while you will still be able to access eGMS Reach, staff will remain out of the office until authorized to return and will respond to any messages, report submissions, or inquiries, at that time.
The National Archives will also post shutdown language on NARA web sites, social media, and on our facilities.
Thank you for your understanding,
Darrell Meadows
NHPRC Acting Executive Director”
10/1/25: NSF eBusiness Outreach
Communication received from NSF Business Applications
“Dear Managing Organization Cognizant Points of Contact and Colleagues,
This email provides notification that the appropriations under which the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has been operating expired on September 30, 2025. Consequently, NSF will shut down its operations with limited exemptions for specifically excepted activities.
Please review the Assistance and Contract-Related Policy and Systems Issues During a Lapse in Appropriations page at https://www.nsf.gov/shutdown/recipients for more information.”
10/1/25: NSF closes and creates webpage
Communication received from NSF
“Due to a lapse in appropriations, NSF is closed. NSF will continue to accept proposals in accordance with published guidelines. Please continue to watch this site for changes to NSF’s operating status, reopening guidance for employees, and if necessary, general instructions for recipients.”
10/1/25: Lapse in NSF Appropriations and ACM$ Payments
Communication received from Justin W Poll, Chief, Payments and Analytics Branch | Division of Financial Management, U.S. National Science Foundation
“The agency has published its National Science Foundation Plan for Operations During a Lapse in Appropriations.
Award Cash Management Service (ACM$) is currently available for use by recipients to draw down funds on existing awards. NSF will process payments on an intermittent schedule until normal operations resume.”
10/1/25: Information for the NIH Extramural Community During the Lapse of Federal Government Funding
Communication received from NOT-OD-26-004
“As you may be aware, there has been a lapse in appropriated federal fund as of October 1, 2025. Because a funding lapse has occurred, please be advised that National Institutes of Health (NIH) staff may not be available to provide normal oversight and administrative support services.
For awards received prior to the lapse in funding, you may be able to continue drawing funds from prior awards during an appropriations lapse. HHS’s Payment Management System will remain operational to continue processing those drawdown requests. The robust internal controls that currently exist will continue to ensure the integrity of grant drawdown requests and payments. Please note, if you received your notice of grant award with restrictive terms and conditions, or if your drawdown request triggers one of the Payment Management System edit checks and/or the drawdown limit controls, you may not be able to drawdown funds.
Please check our website at www.grants.nih.gov and www.HHS.gov for updates. Thank you for your assistance during this period of government shutdown and your ongoing support of NIH.”