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THIS MONTH FROM
AMBIPAR | WITT O’BRIEN’S CENTER FOR GRANTS EXCELLENCE
October, 2025
Federal Shutdown: What Grant Recipients Can Do Now
- Secure cash flow: Draw down reimbursable expenses before payment systems go offline and arrange internal bridge funding for grant-funded staff and subrecipients
- Communicate with subrecipients: Send clear guidance on what continues, what pauses, and how to handle invoicing and cash constraints
- Protect systems access: Verify logins to federal portals and export critical documents/records to your secure drive
- Document everything: Keep detailed records of all decisions and don't start new activities requiring federal approvals.
What's New
We're excited to announce our partnership with Polco to help local governments build resident-driven, funder-ready grant strategies. Polco brings community benchmarking data and resident voice, while Ambipar | Witt O'Brien's provides Federal grant strategy, compliance execution, and risk management expertise.
Together, we're helping cities develop Annual Grant Plans that connect funding to measurable, resident-driven outcomes—translating what matters most to your community into competitive applications and audit-proof execution. This partnership enables local governments to move from reactive grant-chasing to strategic, data-backed funding plans that align with community priorities.
If you are not familiar with the Simpler.Grants.gov initiative, you should take note, as it is paving the way for a more transparent and user-friendly version of Grants.gov. Applicants can apply for live funding opportunities through it (Opportunity Listing - Native American Affairs: Technical Assistance to Tribes for Fiscal Year 2025), offering redesigned forms and new features not available in the classic Grants.gov system.
These updates bring federal grants management closer to the intuitive design and streamlined functionality that have long been seen in private grants management systems.
The White House issued a memorandum directing the Attorney General to investigate whether federal grant funds are being misused for lobbying or partisan political activities, which are prohibited under federal law.
The directive requires a report to be submitted to the President within 180 days, detailing findings and progress. This memorandum furthers the Administration’s restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion components within federally funded programs.
Will other federal agencies follow the National Institute of Health’s (NIH’s) lead in restricting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in applications?
NIH has issued NOT-OD-25-132: Supporting Fairness and Originality in NIH Research Applications, introducing new policies to strengthen integrity in the grant submission process. Beginning with applications due on or after September 25, 2025, NIH will no longer accept proposals that are substantially developed or authored by AI tools, underscoring the expectation that applications reflect original work.
Additionally, the same applicant will be limited to submitting no more than six applications per calendar year, with certain exceptions. These updates are designed to reduce strain on peer review, discourage excessive submissions, and safeguard against risks like plagiarism or fabricated content, while reinforcing fairness and originality as core principles in NIH funding.
Additional Resources
Comprehensive Guide to Federal Grants
Navigate the complex Federal grants landscape with our guide covering application strategies, compliance requirements, and best practices for successful grant management.
Join Our CPE Webinar Series
Join us for "Subrecipient Management & Monitoring". This course provides an overview of the responsibilities, best practices, and regulatory requirements for managing and monitoring subrecipients under federal, state, and private grant awards.
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