05/14/2025
By Anne Maglia and Joseph Hartman

We know that the uncertainty in the federal funding landscape over the past few months have been challenging and disheartening. Many of you are navigating disruptions caused by federal funding cuts—whether that means a delayed or canceled grant, or concern about how to keep your research programs moving forward if funding opportunities decline.

We want to acknowledge the real impact this has on you and your teams. These aren’t just funding changes on paper—they affect your momentum, your planning, and the people you support. We know how committed you are to your work, and we want you to know that we're committed to supporting you through this.

To ensure we’re prioritizing support for our currently enrolled PhD students and postdocs, we made the difficult decision to pause financial commitments for new hires for the time being. We know this may affect research plans and growth, but we believe it’s the most responsible choice to sustain our existing community. We are closely monitoring the federal funding situation and hope this will be a temporary measure. And exceptions are being granted for funding offers not dependent on U.S. federal grant funds; please reach out to us if you believe your situation may qualify for an exception.

In the meantime, we’re working to ensure that support for research remains available. Here are some of the steps we’re taking:

1. Bridge Support for Ongoing Projects

  • We are increasing award amounts and moving our Research and Scholarship Investment Fund to a rolling basis. Funds will be available to those without other support to help drive new and continued research activity. The review process will be expedited, and funds will be made available as soon as possible. Look for a separate email and UML Today post announcing this change and how to apply.

2. Support for Graduate Students and Postdocs

  • Internal funds are being prioritized to maintain support for currently enrolled PhD students and postdocs whose funding may be at risk due to external cuts.
  • If your current students or staff are affected by a funding disruption, please reach out—we’ll work with you to find options to sustain support.

3. Internal Research Funding and Researcher Support

  • Our internal seed grants will continue with an emphasis on early-career faculty and those experiencing gaps in external support. We are especially interested in supporting projects that make your research more competitive for industry and philanthropic interest.
  • The Research Development team continues to be ready to help you with trainings, professional development, grant proposal development help, and identification of funding opportunities.

4. Expanding Industry and Philanthropic Partnerships

  • We’re working hard to diversify funding for research through industry partnerships and philanthropic support.
  • If your work aligns with corporate or foundation priorities, we’re happy to help you explore those connections and opportunities.
  • Some foundations have developed rapid response opportunities, e.g. the Spencer Foundation Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program.
  • And we have partnered with Halo, a platform to help researchers find opportunities for industry funding. Sign up for a free account. 

5. Let’s Talk One-on-One

  • Everyone’s situation is different. If you're facing challenges, have concerns, or just want to talk through options, we’re here.
  • Reach out to either of our offices to schedule a time to meet. We’ll do our best to support you or connect you with someone who can help.

We recognize how much care and effort you invest in your research and in mentoring the next generation of scholars. We are hoping that this difficult moment is temporary—and we want to help keep your work supported and moving forward.

Thank you for all you’re doing for our students, your research, and the UMass Lowell community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.