NIH F&A Update and Guidance

On Friday, February 7, the NIH announced a new policy setting a flat 15% F&A rate for all existing and new awards at all institutions, effective Monday, February 10. This new rate would replace previously negotiated institutional rates, including ours.

We understand that this change raises significant questions and concerns. BU’s administrative, legal, and financial teams are actively evaluating the potential impact on our research programs and exploring possible responses. Given the substantial nature of this shift, we anticipate that it may be subject to challenge, and the situation remains fluid.

As with other recent federal research program changes, we are committed to keeping our community informed. We encourage you to attend a previously scheduled webinar
this Wednesday, February 12, focused on federal research priorities and actions. We expect further guidance early next week and will continue to share updates on the Office of Research website as they become available.

Thank you for your patience and resilience as we work through these changes together. Your commitment to advancing knowledge and discovery is what makes our research community so strong, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

We will share updates as we receive them. If you have any questions, please reach out to ospera@bu.edu.