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Month: September 2025

UW Provost Tricia Serio Visits D.C. to Champion Research Priorities

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This week, University of Washington Provost Tricia Serio traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with senior leaders across multiple federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), to advocate for robust federal investment in research and innovation.

As the chief academic officer of one of the nation’s leading public research universities, Provost Serio underscored the vital role that federal research funding plays in advancing scientific discovery, supporting students and faculty, and driving economic growth in Washington state and across the country. Her meetings focused on aligning federal priorities with the university’s research strengths and strategic goals for the upcoming fiscal year. Amid growing uncertainty around federal budget negotiations, Provost Serio emphasized the critical need for sustained investment in university research and explored opportunities for the University of Washington to strengthen its role as a trusted partner to the federal government.

Provost Serio’s visit reflects UW’s ongoing commitment to federal engagement and its leadership in shaping national research policy. By fostering and maintaining strong partnerships with federal agencies, Provost Serio worked to ensure that the UW’s research enterprise remains a powerful engine for innovation and advancement.

Federal Budget Update

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The federal government is set to run out of funding at the end of September, leaving Congress just weeks to avoid a shutdown.

Current funding is provided by a continuing resolution (CR) passed in March that extended government operations through the fiscal year. Lawmakers have increasingly relied on CRs in recent years as partisan divisions have made it difficult to pass the 12 annual appropriations bills on time.

Although Republicans control both chambers, deep divisions remain between the House and Senate. Senate Republicans have advanced bipartisan bills that call for tens of billions more in spending than proposals from House Republicans and the Trump administration.

In the House, GOP lawmakers have been drafting bills with steep cuts but are also moving toward another stopgap resolution. Such a measure could extend funding into mid-November, giving negotiators more time to strike a full-year deal for fiscal 2026.

One option gaining traction would combine a short-term CR with several relatively uncontroversial appropriations bills, including Military Construction–VA, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch. Senior appropriators Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) have endorsed the approach, with Cole signaling he wants the CR to run only through Thanksgiving.

Tensions with the White House are complicating talks. The administration’s recent use of the “pocket rescissions” process to cancel billions in foreign aid has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, raising doubts about whether bipartisan agreements will hold.

Meanwhile, appropriators are pressing ahead with their individual bills to show progress. The House is set to take up the Energy-Water bill this week, while the Appropriations Committee will vote on the Financial Services measure. In the Senate, the panel plans to advance Homeland Security and State-Foreign Operations next week.

Less than 13 legislative days remain until the funding deadline, meaning lawmakers will have to act quickly to keep the government open.