[Orgvpdue] Fwd: [Faculty] Urgent message for faculty from UC Provost Katherine Newman

[Mona Nelson]

Dear DUE Colleagues,
The message below was sent to the faculty this morning from systemwide UC
Provost Newman. Keeping you apprised of an important matter impacting
research across the UC.
-Louie


*Louie F. Rodriguez *

Vice Provost and Dean

Division of Undergraduate Education

Professor of Education

University of California, Riverside

Louie.rodriguez at ucr.edu

ue.ucr.edu



Executive Assistant: Mona Nelson

*mona.nelson at ucr.edu* <mona.nelson at ucr.edu>* (951) 827-7750 *






---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Provost via Faculty <faculty at scotmail.ucr.edu>
Date: Mon, Feb 10, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Subject: [Faculty] Urgent message for faculty from UC Provost Katherine
Newman
To: faculty at scotmail.ucr.edu <faculty at scotmail.ucr.edu>
Cc: Provost <provost at ucr.edu>


Dear Colleagues,



Most faculty are aware at this point that the federal government issued new
guidelines for indirect cost recovery (also known as “Facilities and
Administration” costs, or F&A) for all grants, present and future, awarded
by the National Institutes of Health.  I write to keep you apprised of the
University’s efforts to understand the impact of this directive and take
any necessary steps to contest it.  This is a serious matter for all of our
campuses, especially the principal investigators whose research depends on
the maintenance of facilities and the availability of services to keep
their work running smoothly.



For those who are not part of the sponsored research world, it may be
useful to know that Facilities and Administration is a foundational element
of funded research. Among other things, it covers the costs of research
buildings, information technology, utilities, procurement of supplies, and
payroll processing.  It covers the cost of personnel who assure the safety
of adults and children enrolling in clinical trials for cancer and chronic
disease, the ethics teams that assure those trials are done safely, the
data and privacy teams that protect our personal data, and the equipment
that fuels the labs where discovery is occurring.  The reductions will
disrupt a critical relationship to the pharmaceutical and device industry
partners who rely on our independent research and clinical trials to
establish the efficacy of emerging treatments.



The F&A rate is negotiated with and justified by the NIH by each campus
every three to four years. The rate employed in grant submissions and
awards has undergone detailed scrutiny and is carefully audited to be sure
expenditures align with grant commitments. These costs are carefully
developed with both NIH and Congressional oversight.  Abrupt changes to
this funding will leave gaping holes in the budgets that support the
facilities and staff where our research occurs.



This has been a standard practice for decades; all universities that
receive sponsored research funding undergo this rigorous procedure and the
result is a partnership between the federal government and higher education
to develop and sustain the most advanced research in the world.  Indeed,
the results represent achievements all Americans can take pride in. From
Nobel prize-winning work in biology, physics, and chemistry to life
sustaining work in public health, medicine, and social science, the
University of California has achieved its pre-eminent status as the most
respected and accomplished public research university bar none.   This
research leads to treatments and cures for real diseases for real people,
such as cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes, among others All of
this is at risk as a consequence of the abrogation of commitments to
support that work in the form of this reduction.



We would like to share with you what we can, to reassure you of our
collective (campus-based and system-based) efforts over the weekend. That
includes the following:



   - We are working in collaboration with the professional organizations we
   belong to, especially the AAU and APLU, to articulate a united voice
   nation-wide about the impact of the F&A reduction on the entire R-1
   university world.
   - UC Federal Government Relations (FGR) has been consulting with the
   California congressional delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike, to
   ensure they understand how serious this is for UC and for California.
   - We have provided a declaration to the California Attorney General’s
   office in support of a lawsuit brought by a number of state Attorneys
   General requesting that a temporary injunction be issued by the federal
   court in Massachusetts preventing the order from being implemented while
   its legality is considered by the courts. Attorneys General from 21 other
   states have joined this effort.
   - We have begun a coordinated effort to remind the public and policy
   makers about the critical impact of research on public well-being. Every
   campus can point to important advances in medicine, agriculture, data
   science, and a myriad of other fields that has led to technologies,
   medications, and other discoveries that have enhanced the health,
   longevity, and job creation that Californians depends on. While IDC itself
   is something of a technical and budgetary matter, the work it supports
   matters to all of us and is most easily appreciated by direct reference to
   research achievements.
   - Principal Investigators preparing new federal grants should consult
   with their campus Office of Project and Grants for guidance on these
   matters.



The President, Chancellors, UCOP senior staff, EVCs, VCRs, and many others
met throughout the weekend and will continue to do so as we work to sustain
the research enterprise. Your support and engagement in this effort is
crucial. We thank you for your attention and your own efforts to educate
the students and members of the community about these vital needs.



Sincerely,

Katherine Newman





Katherine S. Newman



UC System Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs



UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Public
Policy





Office address:

Katherine Newman

C/o Office of the President

University of California

1111 Franklin Street, 12th Floor

Oakland, California 94706



Email: *Katherine.Newman at ucop.edu <Katherine.Newman at ucop.edu>*



Chief of Staff

Stephanie Beechem

*Stephanie.Beechem at ucop.edu <Stephanie.Beechem at ucop.edu>*



Executive Assistant (for calendar assistance)

Marvin Morris

*Marvin.Morris at ucop.edu <Marvin.Morris at ucop.edu>*






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