Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the University of Colorado Boulder this week instructed researchers to proceed with federally funded studies and DEI-related work following mass confusion over President Donald Trump’s orders to pause federal grants and diversity-related initiatives.
“Work on federally funded awards may resume if activities had been stopped due to the executive orders and related stop-work orders,” Cassandra Moseley, CSU’s vice president of research, wrote in a memo to researchers Monday. “For the time being, this includes work involving DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and access) activities. Please continue to comply with the original terms and conditions of the awards.”
Federal agencies contributed $495.4 million toward the CU Boulder research in 2024, making up about 67% of the institution’s research funding, according to a CU financial report. At CSU, federal sources contributed $461 million toward the university’s sponsored project funding in the 2023-2024 academic year, which accounted for about 80% of sponsored project funds.
On Trump’s first day back in office, he signed an order directing a sweeping dismantling of any federally supported diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Last week, the Trump administration issued a sudden freeze on funding that sent people overseeing any industry in Colorado that receives federal grants scrambling to determine the extent and impact of the directive. Universities, where day-to-day operations often rely on federal grants, were among those responding to the chaos.
The following day, the administration rescinded the freeze. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order blocking the federal grant freeze.
Both CSU and CU officials confirmed that the temporary restraining order — or TRO — gives them the go-ahead to continue pursuing federally supported researching, including projects involving DEI issues.
“According to the TRO, federal agencies cannot stop existing federal funding agreements based on OMB directive or recent executive orders while the TRO is in place,” CSU’s Moseley wrote.
Last week after the Trump administration’s grant freeze, federal agencies began sending stop-work notices to CSU scientists whose research hinged on federal financial assistance, according to emails obtained by The Denver Post through a public records request.
They included:
- The U.S. Department of Energy’s Golden Field Office said grant recipients must cease any activities and stop incurring costs associated with DEI and community benefits plans
- The Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service emailed CSU asked CSU to temporarily stop work funded through their agreements using federal funds
- The U.S. Department of the Interior emailed about a stop to all DEI-related work
- The U.S. Geological Survey emailed instructing agencies to cancel any DEIA-related trainings and terminate any DEIA-related contractors
- NASA grantees at CSU were instructed to pause all DEI work including training, workshops, reporting, considerations for staffing or any direct or indirect grant activity related to DEIA
The stop-work orders brought widespread confusion as officials tried to parse what projects were being affected.
“The project is for cheetah trafficking in Africa… not sure what DEI activity would be on it. So this feels like a blanket stop on the project,” a CSU employee who oversees sponsored research wrote in an email last week to the university’s assistant vice president for research.
Both CSU and CU officials warned employees this week that the situation remains fluid.
“We recognize the uncertainty and worry our campus communities are experiencing,” Jeremy Hueth, CU’s vice president for university counsel, and Danielle Radovich, the university’s vice president of external relations and strategy, wrote in an email to employees. “We are here for you, and we are actively working with the president, chancellors and our legal team. We encourage you to contact your campus leadership with questions and to discuss impacts on your projects, programs and departments.”
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