Government Questionnaires & Unusual Agency Requests 

It has come to our attention that the U.S. Government is sending questionnaires to award recipients, including some individual PIs. These surveys may ask about your specific project or University of Utah policies.

If you receive such a questionnaire, please do not respond—even if the deadline seems urgent. Instead, forward it immediately to askosp@osp.utah.edu.

Additionally, if you receive any unusual requests from agencies—such as out-of-cycle progress reports, data requests, or confirmations regarding certain activities—please notify Brent Brown before responding. Our team will provide guidance.

Research Funding Changes: Why Connecting with Your Program Officer Matters

I know many of you have questions about the shifting research funding landscape. After my recent visit to DC, it’s clear: increase communication with your program officers for your federal grants. I put this into practice today and spoke with my program officer. What I learned was extremely reassuring – and I appreciated the honesty.  They want to hear from us so please contact them.  Their job is to help us navigate challenges and provide guidance to continue our research.

Also, before you submit your proposal, please reach out to your program officers. Dialogue with them is critical as they have real time data of open funding opportunities. Things are changing quickly and communication is more important than ever. Your program officers can identify the appropriate mechanism and provide details of where to submit. 

If you don’t hear back right away, give it some time and follow up. Program officers are managing heavy workloads, but they do want to hear from current and prospective grantees.

Thank you for your patience and commitment as we navigate these changes together.

Erin Rothwell, PhD
Vice President for Research