Feldesman Partners Ted Waters and Mindy Pava were recently featured in a National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) article addressing the growing legal and regulatory challenges surrounding federal research funding. NCURA is a nationally recognized leader in supporting the research administration community.

The article, which followed a virtual panel held on May 15, 2025, highlights mounting uncertainty in federal research funding—from sudden grant terminations to increasing scrutiny of indirect cost rates and foreign subawards. Mr. Waters and Ms. Pava provided legal insights into how institutions can navigate these developments, including strategies for contesting grant terminations, protecting indirect cost recovery, and responding to evolving regulatory demands.

They also addressed the constitutional and jurisdictional issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language in proposals, and the emerging confusion around which courts can hear grant disputes.

Mr. Waters and Ms. Pava will continue this timely conversation at NCURA’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, during their session, “Trumping Federal Grants: How Research Institutions Can Combat the New Administration’s Funding Shift,” scheduled for August 11, 2025, from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. 

Click here to read the full NCURA feature and learn more about the legal insights shared by Ted Waters and Mindy Pava.