Updated Guidance for the Research Community

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to update the provisional guidance on federally funded awards provided by Chancellor Sam Hawgood on January 28, 2025. Since that time, we have gained a better understanding of the federal government’s priorities and actions.

UCSF researchers should take the following actions:

1) As previously recommended, federally funded researchers should continue their funded research unless they receive a notice from their funding agency to do otherwise.

2) Researchers are encouraged to continue writing and submitting federal grants responsive to the current funding announcements (FOAs).

3) If you are awaiting a delayed continuation Notice of Award (NOA) or no cost extension (NCE) for an existing award, we are working with department leadership to help assess the risk for the award’s modification or termination.

4) If you receive an award modification or termination order from federal agencies, contact your departmental post-award manager and the Office of Research at cgawardteam@ucsf.edu and take these additional steps:

a. Modification orders: Work with your departmental post-award staff to address the modification. You should immediately stop any work that is requested by the agency unless other funding is available. We anticipate that awards receiving modification orders will continue to be funded for the modified scope once amended.



b. Termination orders: You should immediately stop all work unless other funding is available or there is a compelling safety or regulatory concern (in which case, continuation is likely allowable by the agency). Please work with your departmental post-award staff to address the termination. The Office of Research will assist your post-award manager as needed.

5) If you would like to submit an appeal for a modification, stop work, or termination order, please contact the Office of Research at cgawardteam@ucsf.edu for assistance.

As we work together to navigate this rapidly changing funding environment, UCSF is working to develop resources for faculty, staff, and trainees impacted by modifications and terminations. More information on this will be forthcoming from the campus and schools soon. Please check the UCSF Research landing webpage for updates. We recognize that these changes are highly impactful and may cause significant distress for researchers and their teams. There are many resources available to faculty, staff, and trainees including the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program and Student Mental Health and Wellbeing. We encourage you to take advantage of these services.

UCSF leadership continues to work closely with UC Office of the President (UCOP), UC Legal, and the UCOP Government Relations team to advocate for and support our researcher community. If you are interested in adding your voice to the advocacy efforts, please visit www.ucsf.edu/cgr/advocacy/become-a-ucsf-advocate.

Thank you all for your ongoing leadership and collaboration.

Yours,

Hal

Harold R. Collard, MD, MS

Vice Chancellor for Research

Professor of Medicine and Health Policy

Transforming Lives through Science

In 2024, UCSF received $815 million in NIH funding (read story). "NIH funding is the lifeblood of our research, and it's the reason for America's global leadership in science and medicine," said Chancellor Sam Hawgood.

A recent UCSF online news feature focuses on the innovation and impact of UCSF scientists in developing new treatments, pioneering new industries, creating American jobs, and supporting US leadership in health and biotech worldwide.

CTEC Update

A reminder that CTEC aims to achieve an institutional median of 90 days for clinical trial activation, measured as time from the first submission of a trial protocol into a UCSF system (IRB or OCTA) to contract execution. To help streamline your activation process and achieve this goal, study teams should submit to the IRB and OCTA in parallel, or on the same day. 

For resources to help you accelerate your industry clinical trial activation and achieve parallel submission, use our Study Team Guide for UCSF Industry Clinical Trial Activation. 

Stay up to date with CTEC training, resources, and key information available to our research community on our website! 

Neeta Thakur Named Faculty Director of Clinical Research Operations

After a competitive search, we are excited to announce that Neeta Thakur, MD, associate professor of medicine and pulmonary and critical care, will assume the role of faculty director of Clinical Research Operations (CRO) and in this role will oversee Clinical Trials Operations (CTO), effective mid-March. In this new role, Dr. Thakur will serve as a key partner to assist the associate vice chancellor for clinical research, Office of Research leadership, and relevant campus administrative units (e.g. Office of Sponsored Research and IRB) in identifying and addressing priority areas to ensure efficient and effective research operations for studies with human participants, including clinical research and clinical trials.

Research Spotlight

Samira Abdulai-Saiku, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

with Dena Dubal, MD, PhD

and colleagues

"The maternal X chromosome affects cognition and brain ageing in female mice," Nature

Claire Kokontis

Graduate Student

with Joseph Bondy-Denomy, PhD

and colleagues

"Multi-interface licensing of protein import into a phage nucleus," Nature