Policy & Guideline Updates

In response to recent and ongoing executive orders and directives from the OMB, our university leaders are working diligently to understand how best to support our mission-driven research and creative activities and the talented people across our institution who drive this work. There is a lot of communication with, and learning from, key stakeholders in government, the private sector, other universities, and other communities. Linked below are communications received from federal agencies. Please contact ORS if you have questions regarding your active grant or upcoming proposal at ors@depaul.edu. 

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* On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, a Federal Court issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting certain actions related to Executive Orders 14187 and 14168, which is effective immediately. You can review the court’s order and the Executive Orders here.

* Department of Education Dear Colleague Letter Regarding DEIA practices - February 14, 2025

* NIH memo on change to indirect cost rate policy - February 7, 2025

* NSF Executive Orders Implementation Guidelines website - February 5, 2025

* Temporary Restraining Order challenging pause of certain Federal financial assistance - February 3, 2025

* NSF Memo to Principal Investigators. Check back on their website as they put together Frequently Asked Questions. January 28, 2025

* NASA memo on ceasing grant activity on gender ideology - January 29, 2025

* Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum on Federally Funded Programs

     Update to OMB Memorandum - January 28, 2025 

     OMB Rescinded Memo - January 29, 2025

* The Office of Science at the Department of Energy is immediately ending the requirement for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plans in any proposal submitted to the Office of Science.  If you have questions, please email questions@science.doe.gov. January 28, 2025.

* NASA memorandum on grants with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from January 23, 2025.

* Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity - January 21, 2025

* Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions: On January 20, 2025, the President of the United States of America signed an Executive Order (E.O.) titled, “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions”, which repeals Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce”.

Roadmap for Externally Sponsored Projects. DePaul has numerous resources available to aid your efforts in finding, applying for, and managing external funding to support your research, programmatic, pedagogical or other creative activities. The Roadmap includes categories to identify steps in the grants process and includes links to the various departments and resources dedicated to helping DePaul faculty and staff navigate this work.

HHS's Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) has New Consent Training: OHRP is presenting the brand-new Participant-Centered Informed Consent Training. The interactive online program consists of 6 modules and delivers a comprehensive training for creating, designing, and reviewing consent forms or templates for the purposes of ensuring that prospective research participants understand the content and appreciate how it relates to them.

Mileage Reimbursement Update. The IRS has updated the standard Mileage Reimbursement Rate for 2024 to $0.67/mile. (12/14/2023)

Updated Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules: NIH has revised the NIH Guidelines to specify biosafety practices for research involving gene drive modified organisms (GDMOs) in contained research settings. (4/2024)

Guidance For Videos Submitted As NIH Application Materials: NIH understands that, in certain situations, the use of video technology can be critical in conveying key aspects of a grant application. The purpose of this Notice is to provide updated policy and guidelines for investigators submitting videos to accompany their NIH applications. (3/2024)

Required Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries: The Required Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries form applies to all competing applications for funding under the NIH, CDC, and FDA SBIR and STTR programs submitted for due dates on or after September 5, 2023. (7/2023)

Policies for NRSA Stipends, Compensation and Other Income (NOT-OD-23-111). NIH provides stipends to NRSA fellows and trainees as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience. NIH does not provide stipends as a condition of employment with either the Federal government or the sponsoring institution. (4/21/2023)

Updates to Funding Opportunity Terminology (NOT-OD-23-109). Effective immediately, NIH will use the term notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to refer to formal announcements of the availability of Federal funding through a financial assistance program. Previously, such announcements were referred to as funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). (4/21/2023)

Revised NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH Post-Submission Material Policy (NOT-OD-23-106). The agencies are phasing out the use of a one-page update of preliminary data as post-submission material initiated under COVID. (3/31/2023)

NIH-Wide Fiscal Years 2023-2027 Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Articulates NIH’s commitment to embracing, strengthening, and integrating DEIA across all NIH activities to achieve the agency’s mission. (3/20/2023)

Guidance for the Repayment of Grant Funds (NOT-OD-23-102). This covers requirements for return of grants funds of $20K or greater. (3/10/2023)

Policy for Data Management and Sharing (DMS Policy). Updates on Research Covered by the 2023 NIH Data Management & Sharing Policy; Policy Effective Date; Foreign Collaboration; and Considerations for Proprietary Data. (1/25/2023)

Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements (NOT-OD-23-056).  The salary limitation for Executive Level II is $212,100. (1/12/2023)

2024 NSF Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). NSF has released the new PAPPG (NSF 24-1), effective for proposals submitted or due on or after May 20, 2024. (The previous PAPPG (NSF 23-1) can be found here.) Key updates and changes include:

SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES: Each individual identified as a senior/key person must provide a document of up to one-page that includes a list of up to five distinct examples that demonstrates the broader impact of the individual’s professional and scholarly activities that focus on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation. This was previously part of the Biosketch.

MENTORING PLAN: Each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral  scholars or graduate students must upload under “Mentoring Plan” in the supplementary documentation section of Research.gov, a 1-page description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. 

MALIGN FOREIGN TALENT RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS: The AOR must certify that all individuals identified as senior/key personnel have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under that section to certify that the individual is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program. 

TRIBAL NATION APPROVALS: Proposals that may impact the resources or interests of a federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribal Nation (Tribal Nation) will not be awarded by NSF without prior written approval from the official(s) designated by the relevant Tribal Nation(s). 

NSF Updated Training Requirements. Effective July 1, 2023, faculty with NSF grants are required to complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. NSF guidelines require both online training for faculty, students, and post docs who are supported by NSF to conduct research. To address this NSF requirement, DePaul offers CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) as its source for the online RCR training materials. 

NSF Data Sharing Policy. Information on NSF Data Sharing Policy, including requirements by Directorate, Office, Division, Program or Other NSF Unit, as applicable, are now available. (1/30/2023)

Updated Biosketch and Current & Pending Support Formats. NSF has partnered with the National Institutes of Health to use SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae as the NSF-approved format for use in preparation of the biographical sketch and curent and pending (other) support sections of an NSF proposal. The previous fill-in PDF formats are no longer accepted as of 10/23/2023. (1/30/2023)

DOJ is Now Using Grants.gov: Make sure your registration, profile, workspace, and user roles are up to date.