I have a graduate degree from a school in the University of Nebraska system and their president sent us this email today going over the changes to the system.
1.) The National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy recently joined the NIH in capping Facilities & Administration (F&A) rates at 15%. These caps, which help cover research infrastructure like lab maintenance and staff, if enacted on all federal awards, would result in an estimated $60 million annual revenue loss for the university system.
2.) Since Jan. 22, 74 federal grants totaling $91.6 million have been terminated across our campuses—representing a loss of over $46 million in incomplete work. While we continue to assess the full impact, these changes reflect broader shifts in federal funding priorities.
3.) The recent release of the federal preliminary budget suggests reductions in federal support for sponsored research programs and many other key areas. While this is just a recommendation at this time, it does signal a desired direction for further cuts that could impact universities nationwide.
This is a system that does relatively little research compared to most other states too.