February 27th, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
On Friday, February 21st, the US District Court issued a preliminary injunction in the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Ed v. Trump litigation against three key provisions of two Executive Orders that sought to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. The preliminary injunction prevents the federal administration from taking several key actions: 1) Pausing or terminating existing federal contracts and grants related to DEI initiatives or changing the terms of such contracts and grants; 2) Requiring contractors or awardees to certify their DEI practices; or 3) Bringing enforcement actions under the two DEI executive orders.
What does this mean for researchers with active awards?
- A funding agency cannot terminate or ask you to modify the terms or conditions of an existing award for any DEI-related activities covered under the injunction.
- A funding agency cannot ask you to “certify” that your active awards meet any criteria related to the two DEI executive orders.
If you receive an email, phone call, or other communication from any sponsor with a request to modify an existing award or sign a certification, we kindly ask that you do the following:
- The first action you should take is to immediately notify RGS via the Reporting Changes to Research Projects or Proposals form.
- Please do not communicate with, or respond to the sponsor or any sub recipients regarding this notice until you receive further guidance from us. This will ensure that all necessary considerations are addressed before any action is taken.