In response to federally induced tumult, the Rowan Division of University Research created a webpage dedicated to cataloging changes to federal policies that could impact funding, titled “Federal Funding Updates 2025.”

This webpage is divided into six categories, with the ones most relevant to researchers being “Recommendations for researchers,” “Agency announcements,” and “Policy Updates.”

“Recommendations for researchers” outlines directives to researchers such as to review their grant agreements and to stay up to date on their submission deadlines. Most importantly, the site encourages researchers to continue work unless directed to stop.

“Agency announcements” is more specific, with links to up-to-date announcements from federal agencies that may have awarded funds to Rowan researchers. Most announcements have one thing in common, which is the implementation of recent executive orders.

The most recent announcement was added on Feb. 7, highlighting the ever-changing nature of the state of federal funding.

These changes are not by accident, however, and have been induced by sweeping executive orders courtesy of President Donald Trump’s administration.

In a now-withdrawn memorandum published on Jan. 27, the administration ordered all federal agencies to pause activities related to the disbursement of federal financial assistance, in order to implement seven executive orders listed in the memorandum.

The response to this withdrawn memorandum and the Trump administration’s many executive orders and actions has been a slew of lawsuits, which have, for the time being, resulted in the unfreezing of federal funds.

Keeping up to date with these changes is incredibly important for Rowan researchers, for whom a lot of their work is funded by federal grants.

Per the National Science Board, in 2021, institutions of higher education spent 90 billion dollars on research and development, with 55% of the spending being financed by the federal government.

These funds were allocated through a budget authorization granted by the United States Congress. This authorization sets a “ceiling” on how much money federal agencies can spend on sponsoring academic research.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities outlines the difference between mandatory spending and discretionary spending.

Mandatory spending is set forth in laws that create programs. The law itself will also determine the purpose and rules, and the funding of the program itself. Since the law outlines funding, it is considered mandatory that money is allocated to the program itself. Examples of this are many benefits provided by the federal government, such as SNAP or Social Security.

Discretionary spending is different in how money is allocated to the relevant program or agency.

“The authorizing law that sets up the program, agency, or activity does not itself determine the funding level, which is instead set in annual appropriations legislation,” said the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Annually, federal agencies are apportioned funds based on legislation set by Congress, in order to fund programs, agencies, or activities outlined in law.

This funding upheaval and future uncertainty is having an impact on Rowan students and faculty.

Mahbubur Meenar, Ph.D, an associate professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability, explained the impact on her work.

“We haven’t been told to stop or pause yet, so my team and students are continuing as planned. But the uncertainty is real, and until we get more clarity, there’s always that concern in the background,” said Meenar.

Keeping up with changes in federal funding is no walk in the park either. While he encourages his teams to push forward through these challenges, he also knows that his funding situation could change at any moment.

“I’m particularly worried about my students at Rowan who rely on these projects for part-time jobs in my Community Planning + Visualization Lab. Their work and income are directly tied to these grants, and if funding stops, they’ll be impacted immediately,” said Meenar.

Meenar was aware of the new website Rowan published to address and update students on any changes in federal funding, and finds it useful, but not a comprehensive solution.

“It’s a useful resource for broader policy updates and recommendations. But at the end of the day, every project is different, and figuring out what those changes mean for your specific work is another challenge altogether,” said Meenar.

As researchers in academic institutions across the country navigate the uncertainty of their future, it is up to universities to help students and faculty. The Rowan Division of University Research’s creation of “Federal Funding Updates 2025” is one such step.

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