Despite uncertainty surrounding executive actions, Penn State remains one of the world's biggest research universities and continues working to address the critical challenges facing the United States and humanity, Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read said during a conversation with the Penn State community on May 28.
Read and Amanda Wintersteen, associate vice president for federal relations, spoke with an audience of nearly 1,000 individuals joining in-person and online about the impact recent federal actions have had on University research operations and what Penn State is doing to address those challenges. They acknowledged the difficulties and uncertainties facing the research community, such as fewer calls for proposals from funding agencies.
Read gave a brief overview of grant terminations, award slowdowns, proposed federal agency budget reductions and 15% caps on facilities and administration (F&A) rates at federal agencies, reporting that Penn State would see an annual loss of $90 million in research infrastructure support if the proposed F&A rate caps were implemented at all federal agencies that currently administer grants to the University. He described the current situation as serious but with room for optimism, likening it not to going over a cliff but watching a tide ebb. University leaders across the country don't know how far out the tide will go, he said, but Penn State has worked hard to achieve a balanced budget and is taking a data-driven approach in response to federal changes.
