The U.S. government is approaching its Friday, Jan. 30, deadline to reach an agreement on remaining federal spending for the fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1. If an agreement is not reached by this deadline, it will result in a partial federal government shutdown, which, because of the agencies involved, could affect many programs, including the federal contracting work performed by Georgia Tech.

With guidance from a cross-functional working group, executive leadership continues to monitor the developing situation and is ready to implement strategies to help ensure continuity in the event of a partial federal government shutdown. Similar to the previous shutdown, mitigation strategies will include accelerating federal invoicing; monitoring cash balances; and assessing the need to defer certain purchases, hiring, and non-essential travel.

Congress has reached an agreement to fund most of the U.S. government through Jan. 30, 2026, and other portions of the government through Sep. 30, 2026 — temporarily ending the federal shutdown, which began Oct. 1.

As the federal government reopens, federal systems are expected to resume processing remaining payments owed to Georgia Tech. This will allow the Institute to begin lifting its mitigation strategies that were implemented to preserve cash, maintain campus operations, and uphold our academic and research mission.

Georgia Tech leadership, with guidance from the Institute’s Federal Shutdown working group, anticipates that these cost-saving measures will be suspended on Monday, Nov. 17, for the entirety of Georgia Tech, regardless of funding source. New guidance will be posted on this site on Monday, Nov. 17. Until then, please continue to follow the current guidelines related to hiring, procurement transactions, and travel.

The U.S. government is entering its sixth week of the federal shutdown as lawmakers continue to work toward an agreement on federal spending for the new fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1. The impasse has necessitated mitigation strategies, regardless of funding source, across the entirety of Georgia Tech to help preserve cash, maintain campus operations, and fulfill our academic and research mission. Guidance on these measures can be found below.  

Georgia Tech leadership, with guidance from the Institute’s Federal Shutdown working group, continues to closely monitor daily cash balances and plan for the possibility of additional mitigation measures if the shutdown continues through the fall semester.    

The U.S. government is entering its fourth week of the federal shutdown as lawmakers continue to work toward an agreement on federal spending for the new fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1. The impasse is delaying payment for federally funded research activities at Georgia Tech. During a government shutdown, research institutions like Georgia Tech must take measures to plan for long-term financial health and research continuity. 

As a result of the continued shutdown and delayed payments from federal sponsors, the Institute is now activating mitigation strategies to help preserve cash, maintain campus operations, and fulfill our academic and research mission. These measures – developed with guidance from the Federal Shutdown working group – apply across the entirety of Georgia Tech, regardless of funding source.    

Dear Georgia Tech Faculty and Staff:  

The federal government shutdown is now entering its fourth week, as lawmakers work toward an agreement on federal spending for the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. We understand that this prolonged situation continues to create uncertainty across our community.   

Due to the impasse, the Institute is now activating mitigationstrategies to help preserve cash, maintain campus operations, and fulfill our academic and research mission. These measures, developed with guidance from the Federal Shutdown working group, apply across the entirety of Georgia Tech, regardless of funding source.   

Effective immediately, the Institute is limiting the following types of expenditures:  

• Purchases, major contracts, and other significant non-personnel spending. 
• Non-essential travel.  
• New job offers.  
• Consulting services. 

Detailed guidance and FAQs related to these measures — including information specific to hiring, travel, and non-personnel expenditures — are available at af.gatech.edu/federal-shutdown. Access to the guidance requires single-sign-on. This information will be updated as federal negotiations progress and new information becomes available.  

During a government shutdown, research institutions like Georgia Tech must take measures to plan for long-term financial health and research continuity. It is critical that we maintain the ability to bill and collect for work. If our researchers ceased work, we would forgo the revenue that could be collected when the government returns to full operations, creating long-term budget implications. Georgia Tech will continue to submit invoices and make cash requests through federal systems that remain operational.  

We recognize that these constraints may create challenges for some areas of campus. Institute leadership, in coordination with financial managers and HR Partners, is committed to providing timely updates and supporting units as they navigate these adjustments.  

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and dedication to Georgia Tech. We remain confident in the strength of our community and our ability to manage through this challenging period together.  

Sincerely,  
 
Tricia Chastain  
Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance  
 
Karie Davis-Nozemack  
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs  
 
Tim Lieuwen  
Executive Vice President for Research

Dear Georgia Tech Community,

As the U.S. government enters its third week of the federal shutdown, lawmakers continue working toward an agreement on federal spending for the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. We know this situation has created uncertainty across our community, especially for those whose work and research depend on federal funding. As the federal shutdown continues, our goal is to protect the Institute’s operational stability while maintaining focus on serving our students and upholding our mission.

The shutdown has delayed payments for federally sponsored research activities, which represent more than $100 million in monthly expenses at Georgia Tech. While we remain hopeful that the U.S. government shutdown will end soon, Institute leadership — with guidance from the working group convened to address the issue — is preparing to implement mitigation strategies as early as next week to slow spending to preserve cash and maintain essential campus operations during this shutdown.

If the shutdown continues beyond Monday, Oct. 20, the Institute will begin limiting certain activities to reduce expenditures and preserve cash. These include:

• Major contracts, purchases, and other significant non-personnel expenditures.
• Non-essential travel.
• New job offers.
• Consulting services.

We recognize that these steps may create challenges for some, and we are committed to communicating clearly and supporting our community throughout this process. Details and related procedures will be shared with College and unit leaders as well as financial managers.

Georgia Tech remains committed to continuing research activities to the greatest extent possible given current constraints. The Institute will continue to submit invoices and make cash requests as federal systems allow, though payments from sponsors are delayed. Researchers can find additional guidance here: osp.gatech.edu/federal-government-shutdown-guidance.

The Institute’s leadership team is working diligently to minimize the impact on our students, faculty, and staff. With the working group’s support, executive leadership will continue to closely monitor cash reserves and adjust our approach as needed — especially if the shutdown extends into November.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued commitment to Georgia Tech. More information will be shared as it becomes available.  

Sincerely,

Tricia Chastain 
Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance

Karie Davis-Nozemack 
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Tim Lieuwen 
Executive Vice President for Research 

• Georgia Tech Set to Implement Measures Amid Federal Shutdown (Oct. 13, 2025)
• Navigating the Federal Government Shutdown (Oct. 1, 2025)
• Georgia Tech Prepares for the Potential Federal Government Shutdown (Sept. 25, 2025)