Research Continuity: Update and Next Phase of Committee Work

Dear colleagues,

I write to share an update on research support across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and to outline the next phase of work as we look beyond this academic year.

With many federal awards now reinstated and some reimbursements received, we are in a stronger position. Still, significant challenges remain: federal support for research is under increasing pressure, approaches to indirect cost recovery remain in flux, the areas likely to receive funding may shift, and legal uncertainty persists. For now, the FAS Research Continuity Funding (RCF) program will remain in place to provide essential support as we navigate a research landscape that has been fundamentally reshaped.

To prepare for what comes next, I have reconvened the faculty-led Research Continuity Committee (RCC), chaired by Professor Steve Hyman, and will expand its membership to include additional perspectives from the social sciences. In this second phase, the RCC will engage broadly with faculty and researchers to identify strategies for sustaining research excellence in an evolving funding environment and to develop a long-term model for ensuring this excellence over time. Specifically, the RCC is charged to:

  • Review the current RCF program,
  • Recommend the principles and priorities for continuity funding beyond FY2026,
  • Develop a vision for long-term research funding, and
  • Advise on fundraising strategy, in partnership with our Divisional Deans for Science and Social Science and Dean for FAS Development.

This work will be guided by our commitments to encourage innovation and intellectual risk-taking, support areas of institutional strength, and retain and support our most exceptional scholars.

Your feedback will be an essential part in shaping this next phase.  You may contact the committee at research_continuity@fas.harvard.edu, and in the coming weeks they will reach out more broadly to gather input.

I remain deeply grateful for your partnership and resourcefulness during this time of transition and uncertainty. With your input and the RCC’s guidance, we will continue to sustain the strength of the FAS research enterprise, even as we adapt to evolving realities in sustaining world-changing research.
 

Sincerely,

Hopi

 

Hopi Hoekstra

Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

C. Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Science

Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Sciences

See also: