A spate of executive orders issued by the Trump administration in recent weeks have triggered a growing list of questions for Montana colleges and universities regarding future access to federal funding for campus-based research. The atmosphere of uncertainty extends not just to activities related to diversity and climate change but to ongoing research centered on human health and medical intervention.

Last month, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to implement a spending freeze on trillions of dollars worth of grants and loans. The move was quickly halted by a federal court, but several other attempts since to reduce federal spending or bring it in line with the administration’s agenda have sowed additional confusion. The latest of those came Feb. 7 when the National Institutes of Health announced a new 15% cap on overhead costs tied to grant-funded research. That includes equipment, facilities and support staff often critical to such initiatives.