Princeton monitoring possible federal shutdown
Update: On Saturday, Congress passed and President Biden signed a stopgap bill to keep the government operating through Nov. 17.
A federal government shutdown is expected to have minimal short-term impact on most Princeton University activities and operations, according to an administration analysis. A longer shutdown would have more significant consequences for the University’s research mission.
Existing research projects funded by federal agencies are expected to continue without disruption, even if a shutdown begins Oct. 1. During a shutdown, the University would not receive new awards from federal agencies. This could significantly affect new research programs at Princeton that would have begun if not for the shutdown.
The Office of the Dean for Research and its Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) are closely monitoring the situation, together with the offices of Government Affairs, Finance and Treasury, and other campus partners. They will provide regular updates through the ORPA website.
Researchers who work at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory or the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory are encouraged to review the agency-level contingency plans, and can contact ORPA with questions or concerns regarding the availability of government spaces, systems or resources that enable their research during a shutdown.
In other areas:
- Students receiving federal financial aid in 2023-24 are not expected to experience any immediate impacts.
- Embassies and consulates will continue to operate, though they may experience disruptions.
- The Davis International Center is not expecting any immediate impacts for international scholars or students, but will share relevant updates and information in its weekly newsletter.
