UPDATED - Thursday, April 24, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

The Executive Orders Task Force actively monitors and assesses the potential impact of myriad federal and state Executive Orders, agency implementation plans, and legal developments.

Yesterday, a new Executive Order titled Holding Accreditors Accountable was issued that introduces new accountability measures for accreditors through “student-focused principles,” including outcome data, faculty intellectual diversity, and streamlining accreditor recognition and institutional transitions between accreditors. UTA is currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. UTA’s colleges are also accredited by different individual accreditors. We will continue to review implementation of this Executive Order and any effects it may have on UTA.  

On Friday, April 18, many institutions began to receive notifications from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Grants and Agreements on the outcomes of secondary reviews of NSF grants. UTA was notified that one award has been canceled due to not being aligned with current NSF priorities. It is our understanding that this notification is the agency’s final decision and not subject to appeal. Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation (VPRI) staff and members of the Task Force have begun coordinating with the principal investigator to curtail research and work associated with this particular grant.

To date, UTA has had a total of seven grant projects terminated. Some of these are under appeal or resubmission.

Since the initial promulgation of federal Executive Orders on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, several federal agencies have subsequently taken actions to implement the administration’s priorities, including the Department of Energy (DOE) announcing a limitation on indirect costs of DOE research funding to 15%. At the request of a group of higher education institutions last week, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction preventing the DOE from implementing its indirect cost reduction. Proposals will continue to be prepared and submitted with our fully negotiated rates, and awards will continue to apply the rate originally budgeted.

Federal granting agencies continue to modify their policies and require certifications regarding DEI activities and compliance with federal non-discrimination laws. There is ongoing litigation about whether federal agencies can require certifications as a condition of receiving federal funding. From Feb. 21 to March 14, there was a nationwide court order barring the federal government from requiring anti-DEI certifications. Since the lifting of that court order on March 14, the government can require such certifications.

Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently updated its Grants Policy Statement to require a civil rights assurance. NSF recently updated its Priorities and has announced it will no longer fund programs that rely on DEI frameworks or combat misinformation/disinformation. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health has also updated its Condition of Award to require new civil rights terms and conditions. Researchers should be aware of these updates and others and work with UTA’s Grant and Contract Services to be able to successfully conform their grant applications.

Governor Abbott issued GA-48 on Nov. 19, 2024, directing all state agencies and public institutions of higher education to harden state systems and safeguard critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and personal information from being accessed by specific foreign nations.

Among GA-48’s requirements are mandates that state agencies not allow business travel to a Foreign Country of Concern (FCOC) or accept gifts from entities affiliated with a FCOC. We are currently updating our policies to reflect these requirements.  

GA-48 also mandates that state agency employees, including employees of public institutions, must report personal travel to a FCOC and conduct a post-travel debrief. GA-48 affects all UTA employees (staff, faculty, and active UTA student-employees) who are planning personal travel to a FCOC, which includes:

UTA’s Research Security Officer within the VPRI Office will administer UTA’s implementation of GA-48 and has initiated the following process for UTA employees:

Before Travel:

After Travel:

For any questions concerning the personal travel reporting process, please reach out directly to researchsecurity@uta.edu.

These times are challenging for many in our campus community, but we want to continue to assure everyone that UTA will not waiver in its commitment to be an institution where people are welcomed and valued. The Executive Orders Task Force will continue to share transparent assessments and our best interpretations of current and new Executive Orders, the impact of relevant agency notifications, and the consequences of ongoing litigation. Please refer to previous updates and messages as well as visit VPRI’s Executive Orders Research Resources website for updated information.     

Sincerely,

Shelby Boseman

UTA Chief Legal Officer

Chair, Executive Orders/Federal Change Task Force