An email from UTA President Jennifer Cowley on Wednesday stated that the university does not have immediate plans to freeze or pause hiring or graduate recruitment efforts during this fiscal year, ending Aug. 31.
“Thankfully, UTA has a strong financial reserve and is prepared to weather the near-term impacts of changes in federal funding,” Cowley said.
Looking to the future, beyond the end of the fiscal year, Cowley said the university does not know what the federal budget will look like. There is potential for cuts in funding, which could significantly impact UTA.
The federal government contributes 17% of UTA’s funding — 8.8% for student financial aid and 8.5% for grants and contracts, according to the statement.
“To ensure that we continue to thrive, we must be prepared for potential budget reductions in the next fiscal year due to changes in the federal budget, downward pressure on other revenue sources, and rising inflationary costs,” she said.
Cowley assigned chief financial officer John Davidson to engage in planning scenarios that consider the impacts of different levels of resource reductions.
UTA is entering the budget planning process, acknowledging that cuts may be necessary and the planning stage itself could be “elongated so we can better understand the financial implications of changes,” Cowley said.
While recent federal and state executive orders have minimally impacted finances, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is reaching out to individual principal investigators as they determine the effects on their programs.
The VPRI’s executive orders research resources page provides the most up-to-date information.
@trinhvchristine
