The university has not been told by any federal agencies to stop contracted work after President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly told the Environmental Protection Agency last week to freeze its grants and contracts.

Jim Garvey, interim vice chancellor for research, said in an email that the university is not aware of imminent freezes on any of its federal grants and contracts, which are supported by the EPA, NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense and other agencies.

Hours after Trump was sworn in Friday, an email — obtained by The Washington Post —  was reportedly sent to the EPA’s Office of Acquisition Management, which read, “New EPA administration has asked that all contract and grant awards be temporarily suspended, effective immediately.”

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“Until we receive further clarification, which we hope to have soon, please construe this to include task orders and work assignments,” the email read, according to The Post.

Earlier this week, an EPA employee told ProPublica the freeze appeared to be nationwide. However, Garvey, who is also a professor in SIU’s Department of Zoology, said “no federal agency has told us to stop contracted work.”

The university’s Carbondale campus directly receives more than $39 million from the federal government for active research projects, Garvey said. The federal government also indirectly provides more than $9 million of research project funds through a state government or foundation.

Staff writer Luke Nozicka can be reached at 618-536-3325, [email protected] or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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