JUNE 17, 2026

Dear colleagues, 

I hope the warmer weather and sun are bringing you all extra joy these days. The past month has been a mix of storms and sun in the research world. The biggest storm we are facing right now is that the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a proposed revision to the Uniformed Guidance, setting uniform rules that govern how federal awards are issued, approved, managed, monitored, and canceled. If enacted as is, this proposal would cause immeasurable challenges and harm to the national research ecosystem. More details about this revision and our institutional response are provided below.  

While we deal with the proposed changes to Uniformed Guidance, we are seeing some bright spots with federal research awards. New NIH awards are flowing, with UConn Health researchers standing out as active recipients, receiving 12 new awards in May and many more in the first part of June. It’s hard to believe we will be closing fiscal year 2026 at the end of the month and will have the full picture of how this turbulent year has affected our research enterprise.  

Another bright spot has been the state’s support and recognition of the incredible work done by UConn and UConn Health. On May 14, Governor Lamont announced at a press conference that the state was committing $35 million to UConn and UConn Health to support our research programs, a result of the the volatile federal environment over the past 15 months. This commitment is arriving at a critical time for us as we continue to navigate this unchartered environment and deal with our structural deficit. We are grateful to everyone who helped advocate for this funding, especially our AAUP chapters.  

The new $35 million investment from the state to our research is more than just the dollars. This investment represents the growing reputation and impact that our work is having on our communities and the state. The state sees us. Now we need to show we can deliver.  

Over the past several weeks, the OVPR has been working closely with the budget offices at both UConn and UConn Health to determine how we can strategically ensure that this new commitment results in a strong return on investment. I am pleased to say we are just about there and look forward to announcing the details of our plan, which includes critical funding for our graduate students involved in research, much delayed investments in our high-performance computing and electronic research infrastructure to greatly improve our computing capabilities and support all of our investigators and staff. We also plan to provide significant seed funding to stimulate our research areas, especially those particularly affected by the volatile federal environment.  

Finally, we are pleased to officially announce the Transformative Research Impact Award competition and EMERGE Bridge program are live. I am proud of the collaborative effort shown by our school / college and center / director leadership, the OVPR, many faculty members, and research administrators in developing and refining both programs.

Thank you for all you do,

Lindsay J. DiStefano, Ph.D., ATC, FNATA 

Interim Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship 
UConn | UConn Health 
Professor 
Department of Kinesiology
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Department of Public Health Sciences 

V. Penelope Pelizzon, UConn English professor and award-winning poet, is one of just 223 individuals worldwide to join the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows. She will use the fellowship to work on her fifth book (working title: The Wow), inspired by the various meanings of “wow,” beginning with the Arabic letter waw, or و. 

Responding to global security and technology needs, we are proud to announce the launch of the UConn Shipbuilding Initiatives, which brings several programs under one banner. Shipbuilding is central to Connecticut’s past and present. The Initiatives ensure that the state’s future in the industry is secure, as UConn and its partners create pathways and apply expertise to rapid changes and increased demand.  

Congratulations to Oh Sung Kwon, Natalie Shook, Candi Nwakasi, and Cristina Colón-Semenza, who were all honored by UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) for their research and mentorship in various dimensions of health.  

Research at UConn is complex and multilayered. Behind every successful proposal or new project is a team of dedicated, talented staff members who support our endeavors and provide expert guidance to researchers. Leadership deeply appreciates the work that is done every day within the OVPR. Our staff is busy trying to digest and communicate new regulations and efforts to prepare us for opportunities like the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission. 

Research at UConn is a team sport, and staff support is vital to its success. We are proud of the dedication and determination exemplified by all the players on our team!

On May 29, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a proposed revision to two CFR 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), referred to as the Uniform Guidance or UG. The UG sets uniform rules that govern how federal awards are issued, approved, managed, monitored, and canceled. 

There are many stories and briefings, including a summary from the APLU, circulating in the media and on social media platforms documenting the proposed changes and the profound impact on science and scholarship predicted to follow. Our SPS team with other members of the university are reviewing the proposed regulations line by line and working with relevant national associations and groups to measure the anticipated impact on UConn and UConn Health. 

The proposed implementation timeline of the revised UG begins at the start of the next federal fiscal year on October 1. There is currently an open comment period until July 13 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. It is our understanding that several associations have requested an extension to this comment period, and we will update as we learn more.  

The OVPR has developed an internal webpage to provide more detailed information about the proposed changes and their impact, as well as various other resources and summaries, which may be helpful if you would like to provide comment or feedback as a private citizen.  

The University leadership will be meeting to carefully review the proposed changes and to develop an institutional response. We will continue to share critical, emergent updates with the university through leadership meetings, email, and on this new webpage. 

As always, please send any questions you may have to research@uconn.edu. 

State approves $35 million to support research and innovation at UConn and UConn Health. 

Like other research institutions across the country, UConn has been hit hard by the current federal landscape. To stem the tide, the state approved $35 million directly for UConn’s research enterprise. 

Since January 2025, federal research funding has become highly volatile. UConn has collectively lost $95 million from terminated or non-renewed grants and $54 million in fewer new awards from fiscal year 2024 to 2025. Many fundable proposals remain stalled at key agencies.  

By investing in UConn research, interim Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Lindsay DiStefano says the State has helped “ignite a spark that has brightened some of our darkest days.” 

“While the investment goes directly to UConn and UConn Health, it really goes beyond our campuses as an investment to every citizen in Connecticut. As the state’s flagship public research-intensive university, our partnership and collaboration are vital for ensuring that Connecticut continues to grow and be responsive to our communities’ needs.” 

The OVPR would like to hear from you!  Please share questions and ideas using this short webform. We will answer one to two questions with each communication. 

Question: I read on your website: "OVPR Internal Funding Programs remain on hold." This policy puts up a large barrier to faculty members’ new research projects in sciences, engineering and elsewhere in the university. Internal funding over the past decade has enabled preliminary studies at UConn on a wide range of topics that enabled collection of data that are necessary for full NIH and other grant applications. Thus, long term lack of a range of internal funding in reasonable yearly amounts (e.g $50,000~80,000/year in Science/Eng) will adversely affect the future research productivity and external grant research success of UConn research. The same goes for the lack of new hires in the science departments which seems to be widespread over the past 5 years or so. 
 
These local decisions are coupled with the current huge monetary decrease in federal research commitments, creating an additional barrier to successful new research projects. How can these problems be solved on the local level?

Answer: We can’t agree more about these needs for the research enterprise. In particular, UConn / UCH internal funding programs have demonstrated at least an 8:1 return on investment no matter where they have been hosted. This return on investment is why we have advocated strongly to use a large portion of the new $35M from the state for Internal Funding programs. We plan to share how this funding will be released within the next month. School and college leaders are also working closely with university administration to identify innovative ways to hire new faculty amidst our budget constraints. We are hopeful these collaborative efforts bring some relief and renewed energy. 

UConn Initiative for Best AI Practices 

Artificial intelligence is changing the nature of education, the workforce, research, and so many other areas of life. But the advancement of AI creates serious ethical dilemmas: how can it be regulated for appropriate uses, maximized to improve research, and be made to respect individual privacy and identity? 

UConn is taking a proactive approach through AI for ImpaCT, a new initiative focused on advancing best practices across education, research public engagement, and workforce development. Interim Provost Pamir Alpay leads the coordinated university-wide initiative and has appointed School of Business Associate Dean David Bergman to coordinate activities and advise the Provost’s Office on emerging AI issues connected to the University. Bergman will chair an AI Council, which will be composed of UConn faculty, staff, and students. 

This internal-facing AI initiative is particularly timely as UConn begins to lead Connecticut’s response to the NSF AI-Ready America program, which seeks to establish a coordination hub to promote AI Literacy and aid in the effective and efficient implementation of AI within Connecticut’s unique context. 

The OVPR is looking forward to the initiative and supports the effort to ensure that UConn is maximizing the appropriate use of AI to enhance research and innovation. 

Please complete a brief survey to help guide our communications efforts.