On June 17, 2025, U.S. Judge Brian E. Murphy issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that covers all institutions in all states nationwide in the case filed by AAU, APLU, ACE, and 12 impacted higher education institutions against the U.S. Department of Defense.
This document is a memorandum issued by the Department of Defense establishing a cap on the indirect cost rates of federal financial assistance awards to institutions of higher education of 15%.
This page will be updated regularly to provide new information as it becomes available regarding the AAU-ACE-APLU legal action contesting the Department of Defense cutting reimbursement rates to 15%. Stay tuned.
On June 16, 2025, AAU, APLU, ACE and 12 research universities filed a lawsuit contesting the cutting of F&A reimbursement rates for DoD grants.
DOD’s latest attempt to slash funding for critical research would have an immediate and dire effect on our national security by disrupting research designed to help our military.
AAU has issued a statement regarding provisions slashing research funding in the newly released FY26 Presidential Budget Request.
Agency Budgets | Federal Budget | Press Releases | National Institutes of Health | National Science Foundation | Department of Defense | Department of Energy
The American Council on Education (ACE), Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), COGR, and EDUCAUSE submitted comments on the proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule regarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), emphasizing the need for consistent definitions and exclusions for fundamental research across all fields. They also highlighted concerns about training burdens, reporting deadlines, and patent security requirements, advocating for adjustments to ensure that the final rule supports both CUI security and the efficient operation of higher education research institutions.
As lawmakers consider measures related to securing federally funded research data and intellectual property, it is important to understand the current state of play for research security in the country to avoid new requirements that are duplicative, unnecessary, or counterproductive
Backgrounder | Science & Security | National Institutes of Health | National Science Foundation | Department of Defense | Department of Energy
Chart summarizing the research security provisions contained in the final agreement of the FY25 NDAA.
AAU, APLU, and COGR submitted joint comments to the Department of Defense's (DOD) proposed amendments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) regarding public access to DOD-funded fundamental research.