I hoped I would not be writing this newsletter a full month into a federal government shutdown with no indication that things will reopen soon. An extended shutdown does change things—for the employees affected and for anyone needing services from the federal government, including PIs who depend on it for research funding.

Even a brief shutdown is disruptive. Those “few days” can coincide with critical meetings or travel. Many events happen only once a year, so missing one can mean that kind of engagement or opportunity is not possible until another year has passed. Some planned trips and interactions may never be rescheduled.

We are now, clearly, in a long shutdown that could continue indefinitely.

My early advice still holds and it is even more true today: Do not ease up on the gas. Keep moving things forward. However, if you have let up over the last month – possibly not even because of the shutdown, but because you were busy with other responsibilities – now is the time to reactivate.

That may sound strange when it is not possible to reach most funders. But when the government does reopen (and while I cannot say precisely what each agency will do) funding agencies will need to make up for lost time. Much will be accelerated. Reviews will need to happen faster. They will try to hold to deadlines as much as possible to avoid throwing off the rest of the year.

Yes, some deadlines will move but funders will aim to pick up the year with as little disruption to the calendar as possible. And when a budget is passed, there will be fewer months in which to spend the money. Once agencies have funds, they will want to obligate them. And they must demonstrate need; they don’t want dollars sitting in a stockpile and inviting questions. If they cannot spend it, they risk losing it.

What that means for you is: be ready to go when the government reopens.

I do not recommend emailing program officers in the first week they return. They will be digging out of inboxes, reorienting and in some cases starting in new roles after reorganizations and reassignments. Give them a little time to settle – maybe five business days. Then resume your contacts.

Right now, your job is to anticipate what you might apply for and draft materials that can be repurposed. True, we do not know what will be canceled or changed until reopening. But you already have research topics you know should find a home in the next 12–18 months. Start developing those now in whatever ways you feel are appropriate: outlining, writing a project summary, building an outreach or education component, reconnecting with colleagues about a joint submission or checking whether folks want to resume earlier discussions.

Use this time to refresh all ancillary documents such as the CV, biosketch and facilities and equipment descriptions. Take care of the little pieces so that when announcements are made, you are as ready as possible to move.

With a disruption like this one, there will be winners and losers. In one sense, we’re all losers because of the scale of the shutdown. But at the granular level some will be able to seize opportunities that face less competition. When a deadline lands soon after reopening, many PIs will not be positioned to submit quickly. If you are, you may face a less crowded field.

We can only assume the dollars will become available. Be ready to act when they are. Any prep you do now will not be wasted, especially if you are thinking broadly: develop ideas that translate across funders and, when possible, that can be tailored to a range of applications.

Again, do not let up on the gas. Keep moving. Yes, it is harder without external deadlines prodding you, so the motivation must come from within. The more you can do now, the better the remainder of FY26 will be for you and your group.

✈️ Wise Investigator is on the road! My teammate Merab Mushfiq and I look forward to connecting with some of you at the AIChE Annual Meeting in Boston. We will be exhibiting (Booth #403) and presenting our poster Tuesday afternoon:

Exhibit Hall hours:

Sunday 2 November: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Monday 3 November: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm 

Tuesday 4 November: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

Poster Session: Chemical Engineering Education

Tuesday 4 November: 3:30 - 5:00 pm

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙪𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙁𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜

🌴We will then head down to Orlando for the Florida Research Development Alliance Annual Conference on 6-7 November.

Please stop by to say hello or text me at 919-904-9104 if you would like to schedule a meeting at either event.

How to get research funding with Dr. Julia Barzyk

Last week I had the pleasure of livestreaming with Jennifer van Alstyne of The Social Academic and The Academic Designer. Check out our discussion on what’s stayed the same and what’s changed in the 2025 research funding landscape. Thank you, Jennifer, for this conversation. I also encourage you to follow Jennifer if you are interested in doing more to leverage your website and social media to advance your career.

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 12-week program to get you there.

Check out our storefront where you can access our free Unlocking DOD Funding for University Researchers course and other resources, including for faculty applicants.

Ready to book a call to discuss how our program can support faculty at your institution? Let’s chat!