Research Monthly: A Message from Senior Vice President Dan Sui

Dear colleagues,

As many of you are aware, the federal landscape is shifting rapidly and university leadership is responding on a case-by-case basis given the complexity of the evolving environment. Our primary goal is to safeguard our research, but also to think of the long-term stability of Virginia Tech’s research enterprise.

As with many peer universities, we are exploring a range of future scenarios that may affect Virginia Tech, and assessing how best we remain agile in face of uncertainty. For example, we have invested significant planning, time, and energy in some strategic initiatives that we must pause for now. I look forward to when we can revisit these opportunities in the not-too-distant future once we have a greater clarity of the long-term implications.

Last week a federal court issued a temporary restraining order on the Department of Energy’s cap on facilities and administrative (F&A) policy after the agency released a memo implementing a new cap on the F&A rate of 15% on all grants to institutions of higher education. As a reminder, a federal judge has also permanently barred the National Institutes of Health from limiting F&A.

We acknowledge that there are many questions unanswered, but please know we are all working diligently – across leadership, faculty, and staff – to provide sustainable and forward-looking solutions.

Virginia Tech’s Office of Research and Innovation, in coordination with university leadership, continues to provide the research community with guidance, updates, and links to relevant resources as it relates to the university research community. Visit the Federal Research Updates web page frequently.

Additionally, more information about international travel and other topics can be found in this campus notice: Federal regulations regarding international travel and associated university policies, resources, and best practices.

Thank you for your continued support and patience during this challenging time; I remain deeply grateful for the strength, resilience, and ingenuity of the Hokie community.

Regards,
Dan

Daniel Sui
Senior Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer