A Message about Research Resilience

Colleagues,

As the semester comes to an end, I remain grateful for all that you do to advance Virginia Tech’s impact through your research, scholarship, and creative activities. This has been an unprecedented semester, with uncertainty and disruptions that our research enterprise hasn’t seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most recently, the federal government released two actions that could impact our sponsored activities. A proposed high-level, summary budget (“skinny budget”) for fiscal year 2026 was released on May 2. While this document lacks details, this budget proposes cuts that could have a profound negative impact on Virginia Tech’s ability to conduct research. Second, the National Science Foundation announced a cap on the facilities and administrative (F&A) rate of 15% on all newly awarded grants.

As of Friday last week, the university has 55 terminated projects worth $46.5 million dollars, across 45 Virginia Tech principal investigators. But I remain optimistic; the total value of newly funded research awards is higher than this time last year, with federally funded awards having higher growth in March and April than in previous years. That does not mean there will not be an impact - just that we cannot yet see it. We are working across the university to assist faculty and students and minimize adverse effects. And we are working with our principal investigators, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and legal counsel to understand whether we can appeal some of these terminations on a case-by-case basis; each project and appeal is different. Please remember to check our Federal Research Updates webpage for the latest information.

As we head into the summer months, we will continue to identify ways to maintain robust research activities, which could include pursuing grants from foundations or expanding industry partnerships to leverage regional and private-sector support.

We will also continue to advocate for the university by working with government relations and leaders across higher education. We will be best served if we optimize resources and help one another, especially our early-career researchers and students to ensure the next generation remains inspired despite funding challenges.

I am reminded to approach each day with grace and patience. We can and must focus on fostering resilience in our labs and teams, aligning with legal frameworks while maintaining our commitment to excellence and innovation, which drive creativity and discovery across the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Regards,

Dan

Daniel Sui
Senior Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer