Possible government shutdown

Dear Colleagues:
 
As you may be aware from news reports, the U.S. Congress faces a deadline of midnight tonight (Friday, December 20) to pass legislation that would fund the government. If Congress does not do so, then the U.S. government will shut down until a funding agreement can be reached.
 
We have experienced government shutdowns before, most recently in 2018 and 2019. A shutdown beyond the weekend might affect the administration of federal research awards in certain ways, and might impact visa processing for international students and scholars. To understand the potential impacts, please read through this FAQ.
 
I am writing to assure you that MIT is following this situation closely and making plans to minimize the impact on our research community if a shutdown does occur. As a general matter, our aim is to ensure that existing federally funded research projects can continue without interruption.

If you’re a principal investigator, be aware that in the event of a shutdown, contacts at affected federal agencies may not be available to approve or process administrative actions such as issuing awards, providing approvals, and issuing no-cost extensions for the duration of the shutdown.
 
We will update the FAQ page as events warrant; please bookmark it and plan to check back. If you have any questions regarding federal awards, contact ra-help@mit.edu or reach out to your RAS Contract Administrator. However, please understand that staff will not be available during MIT’s winter break, December 25 through January 1.
 
Sincerely,

Ian A. Waitz
Vice President for Research