REMINDER: Possible U.S. government shutdown

Dear Colleagues:
 
On September 25, I wrote to you regarding the possibility that the federal government could shut down if Congress failed to approve legislation to keep the government funded beyond September 30. Congress then passed legislation to keep the government funded temporarily, through November 17. Although it is difficult to gauge the odds of a shutdown actually occurring, with November 17 soon approaching, I am writing to you again with the same guidance I provided in September. 
 
To make sure you’re prepared, please read through this FAQ as soon as possible, if you haven't already.
 
This would not be the first time in recent years that the country has been through a shutdown; previous shutdowns occurred in 2018 and 2019. MIT is following this situation closely and making plans now to minimize the impact on our research enterprise if a shutdown does occur. As a general matter, our aim is to ensure that existing federally funded research projects can continue without interruption.
 
Anticipate that your federal agency contacts will not be available.
 
If you’re a principal investigator, be aware that, in the event of a shutdown, contacts at affected federal agencies may not be available to approve or process administrative actions such as issuing awards, providing approvals, and issuing no-cost extensions for the duration of the shutdown.
 
If you anticipate needs such as these in the next few months, please consult your Contract Administrator in Research Administration Services (RAS) as soon as possible. We will update the FAQ page as events warrant; please bookmark it and plan to check it regularly. If you have any questions, contact RAS at ra-help@mit.edu or by reaching out to your RAS Contract Administrator.
 
Sincerely,
 
Maria T. Zuber
Vice President for Research