This resource assists faculty in documenting how changes in the research funding landscape have affected their research, creative activity, teaching, extension, outreach, clinical work, or service, and how they have responded to such disruptions. It aligns with UNL’s commitment to evaluation that protects academic freedom and ensures accuracy, fairness, and equity.
Addressing the Impact of Research Funding
Faculty affected by changes in the research funding landscape are encouraged to develop plans to recover, seek other support, and pivot research agendas as appropriate. For faculty who are being evaluated for promotion, tenure, reappointment, or annual review, it is critical to clearly document the impact of changes to research funding and efforts to respond to it. In evaluation documents, faculty are encouraged to explain how changes beyond their control have significantly and negatively affected their ability to meet expected outcomes or progress towards promotion, tenure, and/or reappointment.
Faculty may describe impact, as appropriate, by:
- Integrating explanations throughout the traditional narrative statements addressing scholarly activity.
- Adding an additional “Impact Statement” at the end of the traditional narrative statement addressing scholarly activity, not to exceed one page.
- Annotating specific activities on one’s curriculum vitae (e.g., canceled talks, rescinded grants, etc.) See suggestions below.
Common circumstances include:
- Awarded grants rescinded or terminated after release of award notices (e.g., stop‑work orders).
- Grant competitions canceled, including where proposals had already been scored.
- Award requirements changed in ways that alter the scope, methods, or potential outcomes of work.
- Loss of access to federally supported data, facilities, or resources, or cancellation of service commitments such as study sections.
- Broader policy changes that disrupt research pipelines, reduce opportunities (e.g., termination of entire agency programs), restrict travel or visas needed for international collaborations, or limit access to students or research personnel.
- Impacts on collaborators at other institutions.
Explanations should be brief, factual, and address positive, negative, or neutral impact, including the nature of the disruption, timing and duration, scope of impact on specific research activities, mitigation efforts, or consequent pivots in research activity. It is important for reviewers to understand both the short-term impact and the long-term sustainability of the impacted scholarly activities.
Suggestions for Curriculum Vitae
Use brief annotations for clarity. Explanations should include dates of cancellation and brief status of work prior to the cancellation. Examples:
- Rescinded or terminated grants: “Grant was awarded through a competitive process and subsequently rescinded by the funder on [DATE]; all work stopped on that date.”
- Canceled study sections/professional service: “Scheduled to serve on [AGENCY/SECTION] review panel on [DATE]; panel was canceled due to federal program changes.”
- Canceled or altered competitions: “Proposal received a score of [SCORE], within [scoring range if appropriate], before the agency canceled the competition.”
- Canceled talks, exhibitions, or performances: Add “(Canceled due to funding‑related restrictions)” after the entry.