7 Key Takeaways | The Changing Landscape of Federal Funding in the Trump Administration
In an effort to ameliorate perceived problems with the manner in which the federal government issues federal grant funding and the nature of the grants that it funds, President Trump recently announced a sweeping new grant...more
Earlier this year, we addressed a growing sense of confusion and unease among federal contractors relating to shifting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards. Specifically, awardees had to take stock of the...more
Overview of Key Changes and Immediate Impacts - Key Policy Shift: Section 330 Grants now treated as a “Federal Public Benefit” - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) now classifies the Health Center Program...more
On July 7, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Policy for Extramural Research issued NOT-OD-25-128, titled “Guidance on Enforcement of Closeout Requirements During the Appeals Process” (the Notice). The...more
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law. While much attention has focused on the bill’s rejection of a proposed 10-year federal ban on state and local artificial intelligence (“AI”)...more
The semiconductor industry has exploded in Arizona over the last few years. Whether you're a startup looking to enter the supply chain or a longtime manufacturer hoping to expand your footprint, you’ve likely heard about the...more
We are pleased to invite you to the inaugural D.C. Compliance & Government Investigations Seminar, hosted by Bass, Berry & Sims in collaboration with Watermark Strategies. This complimentary seminar will build upon the...more
A coalition of 22 Democratic AGs obtained a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of the Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates (Rate Change Notice), which would have...more
On January 27, 2025, the new Administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Memorandum ordering a total freeze on “all federal financial assistance” that could be targeted under his previous executive orders...more
In recent years, many school districts have benefitted from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants. These grants have assisted school districts and other academic institutions in responding to the...more
On the heels of a $7.6 million payment by Cleveland Clinic to settle allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations and unallowable sharing of passwords, Michael Lauer, NIH deputy director for extramural research, penned a...more
On September 30, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) announced its first-ever Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to provide loans for technologies that are critical to US national and...more
On December 26, 2013, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly referred to as the "Uniform Guidance"). The...more
The Department of Commerce (the “Department”) announced the launch of the first Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) under the CHIPS Act’s incentive program. This program aims to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply...more
Cyber whistleblowing is the newest and hottest area of exposure for organizations. All government contractors and grant recipients must develop an understanding of the use of the False Claims Act (FCA) to address...more
HHS sent notices to noncompliant physicians and facilities on March 10, 2022 giving them 30 days to return funds paid to healthcare providers who have not complied with the agency’s reporting requirements....more
Report on Research Compliance 18, no. 6 (June 2021) - Clemson University is pushing back against recommendations by auditors for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General (OIG) that it repay $276,440,...more
Make sure you’re fully equipped to manage compliance risks in the nonprofit sector - Nonprofit organizations are exposed to a diverse universe of compliance risks, including many that are unique to the nonprofit sector....more
Report on Research Compliance 17, no. 10 (September 24, 2020) What the federal government—and a whistleblower—allege were False Claims Act (FCA) violations actually resulted from an “accounting discrepancy,” according to the...more
Report on Research Compliance 17, no. 9 (August 20, 2020) - The Office of Management and Budget has published guidance for agencies and recipients of federal awards and contracts, finalizing a document issued in February...more
Report on Research Compliance 17, no. 9 (August 20, 2020) - As part of its recent settlement with the Department of Justice regarding allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations, Lehigh University of Pennsylvania is...more
We previously discussed how recipients of payments from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) are at risk for allegations of fraud and specifically addressed how these recipients may become targets of False Claims Act (FCA)...more
Report on Research Compliance 17, no. 6 (June 2020) - A former assistant veterinary medicine professor at the University of Maryland will retract or correct seven papers published from 2013 to 2016 that contained reused or...more
Report on Research Compliance 17, no. 6 (June 2020) - With the recent appointment of an HHS leader as its permanent director and a former Johns Hopkins misconduct official to another key post, the HHS Office of Research...more
Report on Medicare Compliance 29, no. 16 (April 27, 2020) - Because of the coronavirus, the talents of a business development executive at a hospital are wasted, and the chief financial officer (CFO) is wondering whether...more