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To: Faculty and Staff
June 10, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
As highlighted in the recent message from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVC/P) Elizabeth Dumont and Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget and Chief Financial Officer (VC/CFO) Kurt Schnier, higher education, including UC Merced, is facing a period of significant disruption and uncertainty in the federal funding landscape. I am grateful for their partnership and for the Chancellor’s continued support of our research mission, including assembling an initial one-time $1.5 million in Research Sustainability Funds to help sustain impacted projects at our campus.
Building on this commitment, the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) is implementing a coordinated set of actions to support our research community:
Termination/Stop Work Order Support Process
We are finalizing a formalized support process for principal investigators (PIs) affected by terminations or stop work orders. This will ensure consistent guidance and timely communication between Divisions and Schools.
Dedicated ORED Liaisons
Three ORED staff members have been designated to serve as primary liaisons for affected PIs. These liaisons will support faculty in navigating the termination/stop work order process and will coordinate closely with contacts across Schools and Divisions to ensure streamlined assistance. They can be reached at OREDliaison@ucmerced.edu and are identified below:
- Margie Gallo, ORED Project Coordinator
- Ariel Harrison, ORED Director of Operations
- Leslie Teixeira-Porto, ORED Chief of Staff and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Compliance and Integrity
Research Sustainability Funds
My office is working closely with the EVC/P and VC/CFO on developing both the principles used to allocate the Research Sustainability Funds, which includes Senate participation, and the process whereby these funds will be awarded to support campus research.
Operational Review of Sponsored Projects Support
As shared in March, ORED has launched a comprehensive review of the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) and Contracts and Grants Administration (CGA). The Center for Institutional Effectiveness (CIE) and Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS) led the initial workshop, which included SPO/CGA staff and members of the VCR Faculty Advisory Committee. The session focused on post-award processes and identifying indicators of success. A campus-wide survey, informed by this workshop, will be distributed this summer to gather faculty and staff input. Your participation will be critical in helping us identify three to five key areas for improvement.
The combined leadership at UC Merced remains deeply committed to supporting your research and scholarly and creative endeavors. Thank you for your continued resilience and dedication during this period of uncertainty. I will share monthly updates, including opportunities for feedback, in the weeks ahead.
In partnership,
Gillian Wilson, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development
Professor, Department of Physics
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