UNM faculty information and opportunities guide
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For information on UNM resources for faculty, visit our Faculty Resources Guide.
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To support your students, visit our Faculty Guide to Student Resources.
- If you are a new faculty member, visit our new faculty page.
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To stay informed about research opportunities, be sure you’re subscribed to the PI listserve.
- To see our current faculty development workshops, be sure to check out our events calendar.
Spring 2026 semester information
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The Provost’s Office has published spring 2026 information for faculty, including syllabus language, new opportunities for the year and enhanced instructor information from the Center for Teaching and Learning.
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The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) will be changing its organizational structure January 5, 2026. We will move away from the proposal, award and contract teams structure, and into a Departmental Assignment Structure. This means that beginning in January, your departmental org will have set contacts for proposal, award and contract actions.
Working with the same individuals will give you a trusted point-of–contact in OSP to direct questions and receive consistent feedback. Check out who your contacts are by using our OSP Department Assignment list.
Continue to plan ahead for your upcoming proposal submissions by using OSP’s Proposal Review Scheduling System to book your review times now.
Erin Fitzgerald, MBA, CRA
Associate Director
UNM Office of Sponsored Projects
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The UNM Center for Teaching and Learning is offering instructors a variety of workshops, including their Course Design Institute, Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Online, Feedback that Counts: Designing and Implementing a Mid-Semester Survey and more.
CTL now also offers 1:1 instructional designer consultations for instructors. Sign up.
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Spring 2026 courses are now available for development in UNM Canvas. Online and hybrid courses are automatically added to the system and web-enhancement is available for face-to-face courses.
General Information
Courses are added to UNM Canvas in an “unpublished” state. Students will have access to courses in Canvas when the following conditions have both been met: the instructor publishes the course and instruction is scheduled to begin. We recommend instructors publish before the start date to be ready for students on the first day of class.
For information on using UNM Canvas, see Canvas Resources for Instructors. See How to get training for links to video tutorials, an Instructor Guide, Open Labs, webinars, and more.
Section Groups
If you plan to group multiple course sections in Canvas, it is important to submit your request at least a week before the class start date to allow time for processing. Sections should be grouped prior to the start date for the course to avoid loss of student work. Once sections are grouped, you will lose access to any content developed in the original course sections, so it is important to either have that content in a Temp course or to export and download any content you want to keep from the sections in the request prior to submitting the form.
Publisher Integration Update: McGraw-Hill
The new “McGraw Hill Integration” is now available in Canvas, replacing the previous “McGraw-Hill Connect” tool. The old Connect integration will be retired by the vendor, so instructors preparing Spring 2026 courses that use McGraw Hill materials must transition to the new integration. This updated tool provides a single access point for multiple McGraw Hill products — including Connect, Go, SIMnet, and eBooks — directly within Canvas. ALEKS will still remain its own integration and is unaffected by this change.
Instructors currently using the old Connect integration will need to relink or migrate their content using the new “McGraw Hill Integration” migration tool in their Spring 2026 courses to ensure continued access and grade synchronization. The old integration will continue to work in Fall 2025 courses until the term ends.
Canvas Support Resources
Please visit the UNM Canvas Help Site for more information and resources and contact UNM Canvas Support with any questions.
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Learn more about new faculty at UNM by reading some of the bios we’ve posted.
Are you a new faculty member? Welcome! See our information page just for you, and check out the new faculty onboarding checklist from the Office of Academic Personnel.
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The UNM Office of Compliance, Ethics & Equal Opportunity, and Office of Government and Community Relations released the following memo on Jan. 12, 2026 related to political activities.
To: All University of New Mexico Faculty, Staff, and Students
From: UNM Office of Compliance, Ethics & Equal Opportunity, and Office of Government and Community Relations
Subject: Annual Policy Notification Regarding Political Activities
As part of our annual policy notifications series, we encourage you to review the following University of New Mexico (UNM) policies and tools that pertain to political activity. UNM encourages all members of the campus community to maintain ethical behavior and report suspected misconduct. If a community member makes a report of suspected misconduct in good faith, they will be protected from retaliation.
The University of New Mexico encourages all members of the University community to be informed and engaged in the political process. UNM fully supports campus-based activities and programs that provide community members with a forum through which to participate in the democratic process. Please be aware, however, that UNM maintains policies regarding political activities.
The Office of Government and Community Relations oversees all central, health sciences, and branch campus political activities at the federal, state, county and city levels. We are here to advance the priorities of The University of New Mexico to these governmental entities and to support all our students, faculty, and staff relative to political activities. These policies do not address every potential situation. To facilitate consistent public policy outreach and most effectively pursue UNM’s shared priorities, please align your advocacy activities and communications with the OGCR team.
We want to work with you, so please do not hesitate to contact Mike Puelle, Chief Government Relations Officer, with any questions you may have regarding these policies and permitted political activities. Please feel free to contact Mike Puelle at 505-277-1670 or via email, mikepuelle@unm.edu.
Questions regarding this notification should be directed to the Office of Compliance, Ethics, and Equal Opportunity (CEEO) at (505) 277-5251 or ceeo@unm.edu or to the HSC Compliance Office at (505) 272-7371 or compliance@salud.unm.edu.
UNM Policies and Tools Related to Political Activity:
- Regents’ Policy Manual – Section 6.5 Political Activity by Employees – https://policy.unm.edu/
regents-policies/section-6/6- 5.html - UAP 2050: Government Relations and Legislative Action – https://policy.unm.edu/
university-policies/2000/2050. html - UAP 2060: Political Activities – https://policy.unm.edu/
university-policies/2000/2060. html - UNM Hospitals Policy on Political Activity – HR 85 (see below)
- C150: Political Activities of UNM Faculty Handbook – https://handbook.unm.edu/c150/
Regents’ Policy Manual – Section 6.5
All University employees have the right to engage in political activities so far as they can do so consistent with their obligations to the University, and in accordance with applicable law. To ensure its autonomy and integrity, the University shall not be an instrument of partisan political action. The expression of political opinions and viewpoints will be those of the individual and not of the University as an institution. Under state law, employees of the University may not serve as members of the New Mexico Legislature.
This policy applies to all employees (faculty and staff) of the University.
To review the complete policy, please see: https://policy.unm.edu/
regents- policies/section-6/6-5.html UNM Policy on Policy on Government Relations and Legislative Action – UAP 2050
Federal, state, and local support is extremely important to the teaching, research, and public service mission of the University. Through this support, the University can enhance current programs and develop resources to support future programs. To ensure effective development and management of federal, state, and local government support and compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, the Office of Government and Community Relations must coordinate the University’s contacts with elected officials and lobbyists. In determining legislative priorities and other related activities, the Office of Government and Community Relations consults with a broad cross-section of the UNM community.
To review the complete policy, please see: https://policy.unm.edu/
university- policies/2000/2050.html. UNM Policy on Political Activities – UAP 2060
The University recognizes and approves the right of free speech and expression of opinion on any subject by any member of the University community, whether the subject relates to on- or off-campus issues. Those who speak or act shall do so in their personal capacities and not in the name of the University, unless there has been specific authorization by the administration to do so.
In order to assure its autonomy and integrity, the University shall not be an instrument of partisan political action. The expression of political opinions and viewpoints must clearly be those of the individual and not of the University.
This policy applies to faculty, staff, and students and addresses the appropriate use of space and resources for political activity on all of the University’s campuses.
To review the complete policy, please see: https://policy.unm.edu/
university- policies/2000/2060.html. UNM Hospitals Policy on Political Activity – HR 85
It is the policy of the University of New Mexico Hospitals to recognize the right of free speech and expression of opinion by any member of the Hospitals community. Unless authorized by the Hospitals CEO, no employee shall act on behalf of the Hospitals or any associated organizations. The Hospitals shall not be instruments of partisan political activity. All expressions of political opinions and viewpoints will be those of the individual and not the Hospitals. Like any other personal, non-official undertaking, political activity must be done on the employee’s own time. Employees may request annual leave to engage in such activity.
UNM Faculty Policy on Political Activities – C150
To review the complete policy, please see: https://handbook.unm.edu/c150/
- Regents’ Policy Manual – Section 6.5 Political Activity by Employees – https://policy.unm.edu/
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FACULTY
Find a variety of faculty development opportunities on our events calendar.
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UNM voting faculty are invited to submit proposals for internal funding for small grants (budgets that are less than $5,000 per proposal), and large grants (budgets between $5,000 and the maximum of $10,000), with project duration of 18 months from the receipt of funds. The online proposal portal accepts submissions beginning Feb. 1. The proposal submission deadline is Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. The committee will complete its deliberations by the following month.
The proposal submission guidelines are available online, and our recently created FAQ provides answers to common questions about the RAC awad.
Applicants who have received RAC funding within the past four years are not eligible. HSC faculty are not eligible for this award.
Funding will be awarded through a competitive peer-review process. RAC-funded projects reflect the breadth of high-impact research and creative activity across our campuses.
Contact Sakineh Chabi, Research Allocations Committee Chair with questions at schabi at unm dot edu.
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UNM Online is accepting online course proposals (OCPs) for Fall 2026. The best consideration deadline is Friday, February 6th, 2026.
OCP forms can be accessed through the Online Course Proposals webpage. OCP forms must be signed by the instructor who will build the course, the department Chair, and the college Dean before submission.
OCPs must be submitted to unmonlineproposals@unm.edu to be considered for review. Departments who submit an OCP by the best consideration date will be notified of the development decisions by February 20th.
Online instructors are required to have completed one of two trainings before teaching an online course to assure high quality online course offerings. The Regular and Substantive Interaction (RASI) training is available in Learning Central and takes approximately 30 mins. Instructors also have the option of completing the more intensive Evidence Based Practices for Teaching Online (EBPTO) training through the Center for Teaching and Learning. This training is a six-week course offered multiple times per year and is extremely useful for instructors teaching online for the first time. The latest that training should be completed is the first day of Fall 2026 semester.
UNM Online will offer stipends for completing a Foundational Course Design Review, rather than for initial course development. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance your course and receive compensation for your efforts. You will receive a follow-up email from our Quality Assurance Instructional Designer, Melissa Herrera, about participating in the review within two weeks after your OCP has been approved.
Please contact unmonlineproposals@unm.edu for any questions about the OCP form or OCP process.
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The deadline for fall has passed. Stay tuned for future information. The New Faculty Student Experience Project (SEP) is designed to engage early-career instructors in inclusive, evidence-based teaching strategies that support student belonging, motivation, and academic success.
Through short workshops, we will introduce easy-to-use tools such as syllabus reframing and effective feedback, and faculty will learn how to build trust and engagement with diverse learners from day one. This tailored SEP experience empowers new faculty to create equitable learning environments while building a strong foundation for their teaching practice. The CoP will start with an asynchronous activity in September and hold its first in-person meeting on September 19.Email StudentExperienceUNM@unm.edu or use this link for more information.
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UNM data show that during the pandemic, many faculty members spent less time on research and scholarship and related professional development as they revised their teaching and dealt with new and different demands in their home lives. As we transition out of the pandemic, the WeR1 Faculty Success Program seeks to support UNM faculty in new and creative ways.
The overarching goals of the WeR1 program are to:
— Modify institutional policies and processes to support faculty retention and advancement, increase transparency, decrease administrative burden, and work towards balanced service and teaching loads;
— Create structures that acknowledge and address the impact of the pandemic, which may last well into the next decade;
— Provide resources that allow faculty to transition, rebuild, recover, and/or refocus their research, scholarship, and creative work, through support that encompasses both small steps and expansive interdisciplinary initiatives;
— Develop new mechanisms for recognizing faculty success in all areas of the university’s mission;
— Build communication, collaboration, cooperation, and community across all UNM campuses.
Explore currently available opportunities below and visit the UNM Research page to see others.
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ECURE is an NSF-funded grant designed to leverage UNM’s research mission to enrich undergraduate education in STEM general education and portal courses. It is led and supported by Academic Affairs, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Division of Equity and Inclusion, and the Office of Student Affairs. ECURE is based on the following key concepts:
— Engaging students in undergraduate research (UGR) experiences will positively impact their science literacy, science identity, and research self-efficacy, as well as their likelihood to persist and graduate at UNM.
— Engaging students in UGR in general education and portal courses will allow us to serve more students than co-curricular programming alone, and will help students connect course content to professional, community and research applications.
— Engagement in undergraduate research can be offered at varying levels of research immersion. These levels range from students learning about research without actually conducting research to students implementing all stages of their own authentic research projects (see descriptions of the levels below). All levels of early research immersion are useful to achieving desired student outcomes described above, and to creating more effective and diverse pathways to more advanced co-curricular research engagements within their majors.
To this end, ECURE supports instructors in incorporating undergraduate research components into their general education and portal sections, and studies the impact of these enriched engagements on student perceptions and behaviors.
Learn more.
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Please note that this year’s deadline has passed. Stay tuned for next year’s information.The WeR1 GROWL program, which will take place during the upcoming fall semester, is designed to support UNM faculty in revising and resubmitting previously declined grant proposals or funded grants that were terminated. Resubmissions can be revised/reframed proposals to the same or a different sponsor/program. By leveraging the higher success rates of resubmissions, the program will help participants gain insights into sponsor review processes and new agency priorities, improve competitiveness, and build confidence in interpreting and responding to feedback.Participants will engage in a variety of topics, including interpreting reviewer feedback, adapting proposals to meet sponsor guidelines and priorities, and refining communication strategies. Sessions will also provide peer review and support to create personalized plans for resubmission, with priority access to OVPR resources based on participants’ specific needs.Eligibility
- Participants must have submitted an extramural funding proposal that was declined or have been PI on a project that was terminated by a sponsor.
- If reviewer feedback was provided, participants should be prepared to share and discuss it during the program.
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The resubmission must be processed through UNM (via OSP, not an individual award).
Applications will be accepted until May 22 through the InfoReady Review portal. -
Please note that this year’s deadline has passed. A call for participants for the 2026-2027 cohort will be issued in spring 2026.
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is pleased to announce that the 2024 application window for the Program for Enhancing Research Capacity (PERC) is now open in UNM’s InfoReady Review portal. PERC supports acquisition of shared instrumentation or enhancement of shared facilities that enable major endeavors to advance discovery, creativity and innovation across campus. This program seeks to add or augment research capacity through the acquisition or upgrading of instrumentation for use by multiple investigators. Thus, the proposed equipment must be housed within a space accessible to more than one PI/lab group and must have multiple committed users either within a single department/college, or preferably from multiple departments and colleges. See this document for program eligibility and details.
Important dates for PERC:
- September 9, 2024: Application window opens in InfoReady Review
- October 25, 2024: Proposal due date
- December 11, 2024: Notice of award
- January 6, 2025: Proposals awarded/funds transferred for projects who have completed the required progress reports.
Learn more about past PERC awardees and the WeR1 Program for Faculty Research Support.
Federal Funding Updates
UNM Vice President for Research Ellen Fisher and HSC Vice President for Research Hengameh Raissy have been posting frequent updates for faculty related to federal funding actions. We’ve included the most recent ones below. Read more on the OVPR website.
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Lobos,
With the Spring 2026 semester well underway and the legislative session in Santa Fe progressing, our team is sharing several important updates from our federal funding agencies. Apologies in advance for the length of this message – it’s been a minute since we’ve been in your inboxes!
NSF Updates
Merit Review: The National Science Board released Merit Review for a Changing Landscape, outlining updates to National Science Foundation’s Merit Review policy. Recommendations include broader expert participation, a focus on societal impact, strategic portfolio management, and fostering bold, high-reward research, positioning NSF to better align with economic, security, and innovation goals in a rapidly evolving science and technology landscape. Science reports more here.
Reorganization: NSF announced organizational realignment. The changes are meant to reduce the number of staff while achieving faster response times for review and making awards. View the new NSF organizational chart here.
Research Metrics: The FY24 Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey, conducted annually by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, provides comprehensive data on R&D expenditures, fields, funding sources, and personnel at U.S. colleges and universities. The complete survey data are available here.
National Institutes of Health Updates
NIH F&A Litigation: The First Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision on Jan. 5 affirming the District Court for Massachusetts in the lawsuit challenging NIH’s actions to cap F&A.
Delayed Proposals: The administration reached an agreement with plaintiffs in a case challenging the NIH’s termination of grants it deemed inconsistent with administration priorities. NIH agreed to a timeline for review of canceled grants based on their merit. This resulted in new funding decisions on 528 appealed grants, 499 of which were approvals, as reported in Inside Higher Ed.
Research Involving Human Fetal Tissue: On Jan. 22, NIH released NOT-OD-26-026, a policy on Research Involving Human Fetal Tissue. Effective immediately, NIH funding can no longer be used for intramural or extramural research involving human fetal tissue (HFT) from elective abortions. For currently funded research projects, organizations may be able to re-budget already released funds to support allowable research under the same project.
Pause for NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry and Information Request: Per NOT-OD-26-031, NIH is pausing review and approval of applications for new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines to be added to the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry. Established in 2009 by executive order to advance stem cell research, the registry lists hESC lines approved for use in NIH-funded research. Responses will be accepted through April 24.
New Parent Grant Mechanism for International Collaborations: On Jan. 20, NIH released PA-26-002, NIH Collaborative International Research Project (Parent PF5 Clinical Trial Optional), implementing a new application structure for funding prime domestic awards with independent foreign awards that are linked to a prime award (i.e., subawards). The new mechanism follows NIH’s prior notices, NOT-OD-25-104 and NOT
-OD-25-155, which disallowed international subawards within parent grants and announced plans to expand oversight and tracking of international funding. This notice is intended for international collaborations, not projects with only foreign consultants or for purchasing equipment from foreign vendors. Other Agency Updates
NEH: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced a new program with an accompanying notice of funding opportunities inviting applications to build endowments for research and the teaching of Western civilization, American history, government, and civics. The program departs from traditional NEH grants by using non-federal fundraising with federal matching funds and appears to cap indirect cost recovery at $100,000 rather than a percentage.
USDA: USDA released a Secretary’s Memorandum outlining the agency’s new research and development priorities. These include increasing the profitability of farmers and ranchers; expanding markets and creating new uses of agricultural products; protecting the integrity of American agriculture from invasive species; promoting soil health to regenerate long-term land productivity; and improving human health through precision nutrition and food quality.
Congress Updates
F&A Update: Congress has proposed new or renewed language to assert its authority over the current F&A rate system in a broad spectrum of FY26 agency appropriations bills, and we anticipate increased congressional focus on operationalizing the FAIR model in FY27. The three-bill minibus (Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment) passed earlier this month and signed by the president contains two provisions:
- Division A – SEC. 542 Directs the Department of Commerce, NASA, and NSF to continue to apply negotiated indirect costs rates as they were applied in FY24 and prohibits these agencies from using appropriated funds to develop, modify, or implement changes to indirect cost rates.
- Division B – SEC. 313. Directs the Department of Energy to continue to apply negotiated indirect rates as they were applied in FY24 and prohibit the agency from using appropriated funds to develop, modify, or implement changes to such negotiated indirect cost rates.
Regarding current events, the 43-day government shutdown in October-November extended the deadline for final action on the remaining FY26 appropriations bills until Jan. 30, 2026. To enact the outstanding and still unresolved agency funding bills, the U.S. House passed a singular, multi-agency appropriations package last week, sending it over to the Senate for final consideration this week where 60/100 votes are required.
Notably, the final House-passed package avoids the large-scale spending cuts initially proposed by the White House for agencies critical to UNM such as Department of Education, and Department of Health and Human Services while also codifying new protections for F&A. If details are desired on this issue, APLU has created a helpful tracker of F&A language in bills.
What seemed like strong legislative momentum last week has now hit a temporary impasse: part of the final appropriations and agency spending package from the House includes funding for Department of Homeland Security/ICE. The component parts of the final appropriations package are not currently severable. Several key voting blocs within Congress are now demanding a review of proposed DHS/ICE funding while new operational guardrails are considered. Until these issues and concerns can be resolved with sufficient support to pass the remaining FY26 multi-agency bill, the final package will remain stalled. Absent a renegotiated agreement, the federal agencies below are headed toward a partial government shutdown starting on Jan. 31.
Departments and agencies that will be affected by the potential partial government shutdown are:
- Department of Defense
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Education
- Department of Labor
- Department of Transportation (FAA)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of State
- Financial agencies
- General government agencies
The following departments/agencies will not be affected by the upcoming potential shutdown:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Commerce (NOAA, NIST)
- Department of Justice
- Department of Interior (USGS, NPS)
- Department of Energy
- Military construction
- Legislative branch
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Science agencies (NSF, NASA)
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Water agencies
As always, in the event of a partial government shutdown, guidance may be found on OSP’s Government Shutdown Website.
We hope you all have had a great start to the semester. As we lean into 2026, we are encouraged by several research-positive developments in the federal funding landscape. We will continue to keep you updated as the year progresses.Ellen R. Fisher, Ph.D.
UNM Vice President for Research
Professor of Chemistry
Hengameh Raissy, Pharm.D.
Vice President for Research, HSC
Professor of Pediatrics
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Lobos,
As we approach the winter break, we have updates that may be of interest to our research community, including recent developments from federal funding agencies, insights into legislative activities, as well as other relevant information that supports our collaborative efforts in advancing research.
We would also like to thank the UNM Research Rapid Response Team for their dedication and contributions throughout this past year. In addition to addressing a range of requests and emerging needs resulting from shifts in the federal funding landscape, we watched as our cross-campus team (OUC, OGCR, SPO/SPO, VPRs’ offices & faculty reps) built stronger ties and relationships across operational structures with an emphasis on solidarity, communication, and transparency. Our team truly epitomizes the One University approach. Thank you!
National Science Foundation (NSF)
NSF has officially released part of its organizational realignment under the current administration. You can read more about this here.
Science recently reported that NSF will be making major changes to their proposal review process. According to this report, the changes are designed to help NSF adjust to their reduced workforce. In addition to giving program officers more latitude in their decision making, it may also mean less detailed reviews being provided to researchers, which may disproportionately impact early career scientists.
On Dec. 8, the NSF issued policy changes to its Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures (PAPPG). Updates are effective for awards issued on or after Dec 8. Major changes include:
- Increased funding thresholds for special proposal types
- Research security requirements (e.g., new foreign financial disclosures and restrictions tied to Confucius Institutes)
- Incorporation of scientific-integrity principles and a new definition of research misconduct that includes AI tools.
It also raises the equipment threshold to $10K, updates rules about property, formalizes new processes for SBIR/STTR submissions, introduces restrictions on procurement/use of certain foreign-manufactured drones, sets new data-sharing expectations, and clarifies research administration processes.
On Dec. 12, the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation of independent research organizations. These organizations will focus on technical challenges and bottlenecks that traditional university and industry labs cannot easily solve on their own. NSF seeks feedback on this initiative through a Request for Information (RFI).
Congressional Budget Activity
On Dec 10, the House of Representatives voted to pass the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Several provisions related to research funding and security were included. You can read more here. The Senate passed the NDDA on Dec 17.
OSTP-Request for Information
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a request for information (RFI) on Nov. 26, “Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise,” seeking input on federal policy updates. The RFI asks specific questions related to:- Public-private partnerships
- Optimizing technology transfer and translation of scientific discoveries
- Supporting regional innovation ecosystems
- Improving grantmaking; enabling more high-risk, high-reward research
- Preparing for potentially transformative uses of AI in scientific research
- Reducing regulatory burdens on research
- Addressing STEM workforce and career and training pathways
UNM Federal Priorities – A Word from Our Gov Rel Team
UNM’s Office of Government & Community Relations is in the process of gathering annual “federal funding priorities” requests for FY27, in collaboration with the UNM’s research offices and pending final approvals from UNM senior leadership. U.S. House and Senate appropriators continue to work across the aisle at the committee level and move forward with negotiations on final FY26 congressional appropriations.
Whether or not Congress can come to an agreement on FY26 appropriations ahead of the next extended deadline of Jan. 30, 2026, remains to be seen. The outcome of those negotiations will greatly influence Congress’ receptivity to new appropriations requests for FY27. If a deal cannot be reached, Congress may resort to funding the remaining months of federal FY26 through another continuing resolution, as they eventually did for all FY25, essentially deferring for another year any changes to current appropriations targets and levels. Of the 12 appropriations bills congress considers every year, it only adopted 3 of the 12 as part of the re-opening of the federal government in November. We will update you once Congress returns in January.
We hope everyone enjoys a rejuvenating winter break and we look forward to continuing our conversation with the UNM research community in the new year.
Ellen R. Fisher, Ph.D.
UNM Vice President for Research
Professor of Chemistry
Hengameh Raissy, Pharm.D.
Vice President for Research, HSC
Professor of Pediatrics
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Lobos,
We hope all of you enjoyed a bit of a break last week and were able to spend time doing things you enjoy with people you enjoy being with.
There are several updates from various funding agencies as they continue to ramp back up after the shutdown:
NIH/HHS Updates
Shutdown Resumption: Information concerning how the National Institutes of Health is resuming normal operations.
Change to NIH Review Process: NIH recently announced new steps toward implementing a funding framework, effective for the January 2026 Advisory Council Round, that indicates they will be moving away from “paylines” or cutoffs based on peer review scores or percentiles.
Expanded Termination Authority: Effective Oct. 1, NIH Notice NOT-OD-26-009 updates award terms to allow NIH to terminate grants that no longer align with program goals or agency priorities, in addition to existing reasons such as funding or compliance issues. Notices of Award will now reference 2 CFR 200 and any termination enjoined by court order will not be enforced. Meaning, NIH awards that were terminated in the spring and reinstated this past summer will remain reinstated unless a higher court overturns the lower court order.
Extramural Recipients Compliance Requirements: Reminder to NIH awardees that changes in scope represent new terms and conditions for grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions with which recipients must comply.
Common forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support: NIH will be adopting the common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (other) Support. This will be effective for application due dates and Research Performance Progress Report submissions on or after Jan. 25, 2026.
HHS Adoption of Uniform Guidance: On Nov 18, the Department of Health and Human Services released updates to its adoption of Federal grant regulations in the Uniform Guidance. This resulted in changes to conflicts of interest reporting, inclusion of for-profit entities, and adherence to national policies, among other issues.
National Science Foundation updates
Resumption of Operations: The most recent information, including FAQs concerning how NSF is approaching the backlog of work resulting from the shutdown.
NSF Relocation: NSF recently announced it will be relocating its offices in the coming months, which may also affect operations.
Archived Opportunities: Recent information circulated from AAAS suggests that NSF is archiving some of its doctoral dissertation research improvement grants (DDRIGs) in some areas like anthropology.
Department of Energy Updates
Agency Realignment: DOE recently announced a complete reorganization that includes a unit focused on artificial intelligence and quantum, as well as one focused on geothermal energy along with the elimination of units focused on other forms of renewable energy.
We hope everyone enjoys a smooth, low‑stress conclusion to the fall semester. We will continue to monitor agency announcements as well as judicial decisions affecting our research enterprise and will keep you apprised of any changes as they arise.
Ellen R. Fisher, Ph.D.
UNM Vice President for Research
Professor of Chemistry
Hengameh Raissy, Pharm.D.
Vice President for Research, HSC
Professor of Pediatrics
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Lobos,
Now that the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history has concluded, we want to update you on the status of key federal research agencies as they resume more normal operations. We are also sharing several internal notices and reminders to help you navigate funding processes during this transition.
Yesterday, the federal government announced additional measures that would restructure certain functions within the U.S. Department of Education. We are reviewing these actions and assessing any potential implications for UNM. At this time, we do not anticipate immediate impacts on current federal funding arrangements.
NSF: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has posted a quick status update, along with a list of FAQs that are likely to be useful for researchers who are wondering how the shutdown has affected the status of their proposals and grants. In particular, if you are a current NSF awardee, please contact your program officer with questions. If you are a panelist or have a pending proposal, please continue to monitor NSF.gov for updates on operations and events.
NIH: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a notice Nov 14 providing information on their process about reestablishing due dates for grant and contract submissions originally listed for October and November, as well as the rescheduling of peer review meetings and the review of service desk tickets.
We will keep you posted as new information becomes available.
Advocacy Updates: Here are two updates on advocacy work on behalf of higher education institutions relevant to the research enterprise:
- Earlier this year, NIH launched a new initiative on strengthening and modernizing biosafety oversight. In response, the Council on Government Relations (COGR) recently submitted comments that emphasize the need for biosafety policies that are science-based, risk-based, and harmonized across federal agencies, among other recommendations. Read more on COGR’s response here.
- The American Council on Education (ACE) has also issued concerns and recommendations regarding the federal administration’s new policy on H-1B visas. ACE sent two letters to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) calling for an exemption for higher education institutions from the new $100,000 H-1B application visa by warning that this policy undermines U.S. colleges and universities’ ability to attract global talent and fulfill their role in educating the domestic workforce for high demand sectors.
OSP/SPO: As we swiftly approach the end of 2025, the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) at central campus, alongside the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) at the HSC Campus, are eager to remind our researchers of the importance of proactive planning. We understand that navigating project deadlines can be challenging, therefore we encourage you to reach out to your specific OSP/SPO.
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Thanksgiving Break | Nov. 27-28
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Winter Break | Dec. 24 – Jan. 2
With these annual closures, OSP/SPO staff will not be expected to work or respond to emails. If you have any deadlines right before, during or immediately after the holiday, please plan ahead to ensure adequate time for OSP/OSP to do their work.
Please check with OSP/SPO for specific deadline schedules.
E40 Policy: We are happy to report that the Faculty Handbook Policy E40: Research Misconduct has recently been modified to include important regulatory and procedural updates to maintain compliance within federal regulation changes. Specifically, revisions to this policy were made to comply with new federal and state regulations. The recommended changes were approved through the Faculty Senate Policy processes. As a reminder, deans, directors, and department heads are responsible for ensuring that all related college/school/departmental processes, procedures, and/or documents are updated to reflect the policy revision.
We hope everyone has a restful and rejuvenating Thanksgiving break.
Ellen R. Fisher, Ph.D.
UNM Vice President for Research
Professor of Chemistry
Hengameh Raissy, Pharm.D.
Vice President for Research, HSC
Professor of Pediatrics
Other resources for faculty
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Several recent studies have shown that faculty are more stressed than ever as they balance teaching and research with managing student and personal emotions during complicated times. We’ve compiled resources that are meant to support faculty physical and mental wellbeing. Are you using a resource at UNM that’s been helpful? Let us know so we can share! Email advance@unm.edu
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Learn more about the UNM Accessibility Resource Center through their list of FAQs for faculty members.
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CARS offers a wide variety of services to assist faculty, staff, their significant others at UNM including counseling on a wide range of issues such as anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, stress, job burnout, coworker conflict, eldercare, parenting, alcohol and drug use, grief and loss, managaing change and preparing for retirement. CARS provides other services, such as workshops and training, supervisor and manager workplace consultations, critical incident debriefing and grief intervention and referrals for services within the UNM Community and in the larger communities the client resides in, according to their website.
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Find mental health resources for faculty, staff and students at UNM.
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Ombuds Services is a “no-barrier, first-stop for UNM employees, their co-workers, and graduate students seeking guidance, information, and insight from a trusted, skilled neutral in a setting that is confidential, independent, and informal.”
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We’ve compiled a variety of guides on topics ranging from teaching and learning support to resources for students that faculty should know about. Learn more.
Policies for UNM faculty
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Faculty at UNM have flexibility in how they choose to discuss COVID-19 impacts on their progress in annual reviews. This memo remains in effect and applies to this year’s annual review process. Some of the options include discussing the impact of COVID-19 in research, teaching, and service statements, adding an overall impact statement as a supplementary document, or using a checklist. See an example here, which includes referencing lists of potential impacts; or not discussing it.
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Whether you are chairing a faculty search or participating in one, there is a lot to know. Find out crucial information from the Office for Academic Personnel.
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The following information on the requirement for researchers is from the Office of the Vice President for Research.
“Researchers, the timely submission of grant or contract reports is a mandatory condition for funding, and federal agencies are beginning to crack down on both PIs and institutions that are out of compliance. Currently, UNM has multiple projects with overdue reports to funding agencies.
PIs are responsible for submitting complete and accurate progress reports and final reports within the timeline required by the agency. To ensure UNM meets reporting compliance requirements and that our investigators can continue to access funding, the Office of the Vice President for Research will consider timely completion of progress reports a prerequisite for new funding submissions and for the distribution of F&A allocations to units, effective Oct. 1, 2024. More information.
Although the policy will go into effect on Oct. 1, to assist chairs, deans, and directors in maintaining compliance, a reporting dashboard is available to both PIs and administrators.”
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Stay on top of the latest information related to promotion and tenure at UNM with this webpage.
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UNM has a commitment to supporting religious observances by community members. Learn more.
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A 2020 policy at UNM allows an extension of the tenure clock to acknowledge the significant impact of COVID on research and scholarship. See this document for the policy and frequently asked questions.