Federal Research Policy Announcements and Updates

The University will continue to monitor the latest developments and share information relevant to researchers below. Sponsored Programs (ospera@bu.edu) remains the best point of contact for award-specific questions.

• Immigration-Related Actions Under the Second Trump Administration: A new federal regulation replaces the duration of status rule for international students, effective September 15, 2026. Wondering what this means for you? Join one of the BU International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) virtual town halls to understand the change and get your questions answered. Visit the ISSO website for more information, and register for the virtual town halls here:
  • Wednesday, July 29, 11 am
  • Tuesday, August 18, 1 pm
  • Wednesday, September 23, 4 pm
• Regarding proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance: The Office of Management and Budget has published a proposed rule that would significantly modify how the federal government reviews and issues grant awards. Boston University submitted comments, working in coordination with professional associations and scientific societies. More information is available on the COGR website. Should you have questions about the status of the proposal, please reach out to BU Federal Relations at federal@bu.edu.

Early Grant Termination Guidelines

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This guidance outlines the steps that need to be taken by a PI/department/school and Sponsored Programs when an award is terminated by a federal sponsor, a federal subaward is terminated by the prime sponsor, or a stop-work order is issued.

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Status of F&A Rates

Following a series of judicial and legislative actions, the calculation of F&A rates remains unchanged.

Federal Actions

For information on Boston University policies related to recent federal actions, please visit our Federal Actions page.

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Boston University Guidance & Internal Memos

• New USDHS Rule Eliminates F and J Duration of Status (D/S) (7.17.26)
• Reminder: NIH Definition of Foreign Components and Impacts of Co-Authorship (5.29.26)
• Research Security Training: Annual CITI Update Due (5.18.26)
• NIH Updates on Late Application Submission Policy and End of Continuous Submission (4.10.26)
• NIH Prior Approval Requirement for Changes to Domestic Subawards, Effective June 1, 2026 (4.7.26)
• NIH, AHRQ, and HRSA Announce FY 2026 Updates to NRSA Stipends, Tuition/Fees, and Other Budgetary Levels (3.30.26)
• Preparing Competitive Proposals Under Updated NSF and NIH Review Protocols (3.18.26) (Kerberos log-in required)
• Recent NIH Notices and Updates from Sponsored Programs (2.6.26)
• NIH FY2026 Salary Limitation for Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2.5.26)
• Update: NIH Confirms SciENcv Hyperlinks Are Allowable (1.21.26)
• Updates from Sponsored Programs on Grant Management at BU (1.16.26)
• Research Security Federal Research Policy Updates: Key Changes You Need to Know for NIH and NSF (1.13.26)
• Federal Research Policy Updates: Key Changes You Need to Know for NIH and NSF (12.12.25)
• NIH NCE Re-enabled in eRA Commons (8.11.25)
• Important NIH Updates (7.23.25)
• NIH Policy Update on Foreign Subawards (5.7.25)
• Enhancing Participant Privacy and Confidentiality (5.6.25)
• University Resources to Navigate the Federal Research Funding Landscape (1.15.25)

General Background

Notices from Federal Agencies and Departments

If you have questions about how these notices apply to your specific, reach out to Sponsored Programs at ospera@bu.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions