Dear colleagues,

This week, we received encouraging news that National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants that were suspended after July 31st have now been reinstated at UCLA. The reinstatement follows a federal district judge’s decision to allow UCLA’s NIH grants to be included in an ongoing class action lawsuit filed by UC researchers which previously secured the reversal of suspended grants from other federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation. For the time being, affected research grants may resume while the case continues to make its way through courts. We have been continuing to meet with impacted investigators and remain committed to meeting with those whose meetings have been scheduled.

Next Steps for Returning Expenses to Reinstated Grants

At this time, the university will focus on recovering costs accrued during the suspension period. The UCLA Office of Contracts and Grants Administration (OCGA) has issued guidance to impacted principal investigators via email and we encourage you to work closely with your fund manager to ensure that eligible expenses are transferred back to the original grant. Some key points that have been shared with us from OCGA leaders include:

  • All expenses incurred during the suspension period are allowable if they meet the awards original terms and conditions.
  • Please use the original grant FAU’s for allowable expenses moving forward.
  • Move any eligible expenses recorded that were allocated to divisional or other accounts (FAUs) during the suspension, back to the original grant.

Click here to view full details for recovering expenses.

New Travel and Entertainment Requirements

Although grants have been reinstated, university-wide cost-saving measures that predated the grant suspensions continue. These include restrictions to travel and entertainment (T&E). Please note that all T&E essential activities require pre-approval. We recommend working with the division administrators to submit the request to DoM Compliance as soon as possible given our high volume. For travel, please use the DoM Travel In-take form to route to the divisions.

The following activities are subject to pre-approval:

Below are additional UCOP, UCLA, and DGSOM’s guidance if you would like to reference them: 

H-1B Visa Executive Order

Effective September 21, the federal government will now require a $100,000 application fee for new H-1B visa petitions. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), this requirement only applies to petitions filed after 12:01 am on September 21, 2025. The order does not affect individuals who currently have visas or petitions that were filed before the order was issued.

Those who are currently abroad should carry the attached USCIS memo when reentering the United States. There are still many questions regarding implementation of this order. The university has been working with the legal group, WR Immigration who processes H-1B visas on behalf of the university, and are referring H-1B holders to them for specific questions about any petitions that are currently in process. If you have questions, please contact the WR Immigration Office for guidance. 

Thank you for your continued dedication and collaboration during these challenging times. We will continue to provide support to one another as circumstances evolve, celebrate the progress we achieve, and continue to advance our missions and vision to lead in innovation, transform care, and advance health for all.

Sincerely,

E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD
William S. Adams Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Chair and Executive Medical Director
Department of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Health

Judith S. Currier, MD
Professor of Medicine
Executive Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine
Sue and Michael Steinberg Chair in Global AIDS Research

Gregory A. Brent, MD
Senior Executive Academic Vice Chair
Department of Medicine
Professor of Medicine and Physiology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Research Day is an annual event showcasing research, creativity, and innovation across academic disciplines in the UCLA Department of Medicine. Join us to celebrate academic excellence and share our scholarly activities with the campus community.The program will feature a plenary session, poster session, and breakout poster discussion sessions in basic research, health services research and clinical translational research.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025
  11 AM – 6:30 PM
  UCLA Carnesale and UCLA Covel Commons

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