The federal government shutdown has suspended key scientific operations—including FDA application processing, EPA inspections, NIH and NSF grant reviews, CDC reporting, and OSHA enforcement—resulting in significant delays for laboratories.
As of October 1, 2025, a lapse in federal funding has forced many U.S. science-relevant agencies to curtail nonessential operations, leaving laboratory leaders to manage uncertainty, delays, and compliance risks.
What’s Happening Across Agencies
Lab Manager reported that the FDA warned that “new drug, biologics, and device applications that require user fees are not being accepted during the shutdown.”
In an official message, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, stated that while “many employees will be furloughed during the lapse period,” the agency will “continue to fully execute our public health mission to the extent permitted by law.”
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, noted in the FDA’s official message, “I am disappointed that Congress failed to reach a budget agreement. As a result, the FDA is now faced with a lapse in appropriations and will be forced to shut down certain operations of the agency.” (Photo credit: FDA)
The Los Angeles Times reported that EPA will see a sweeping reduction in capacity, with nearly 90 % of its workforce being furloughed.
Lab Manager also reported that new permits, inspections, and compliance enforcement are largely frozen.
HHS Contingency Plan
Under the HHS contingency plan, which covers NIH, CDC, and other health agencies:
- Out of ~79,717 employees, 32,460 are estimated to be furloughed under the plan.
- HHS will continue only “exempt or excepted” activities, such as outbreak monitoring by CDC and “core functions” at the FDA.
- All non-exempt NIH extramural research, grant oversight, and data collection will be suspended.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has largely ceased routine enforcement and consultation activities during the shutdown, with only emergency inspections continuing. According to Lab Manager, the agency has suspended “most programmed inspections and compliance assistance,” retaining only personnel necessary to respond to “imminent danger situations” and fatalities. This means laboratory safety programs will receive no regular oversight until funding is restored, placing greater responsibility on lab leaders to maintain compliance and documentation internally.
Key Impacts for Laboratory Leaders
While grant proposals may still be submitted in some cases, their review and processing are stalled, according to Lab Manager. Further, labs awaiting FDA approvals or oversight (e.g. for devices, reagents, protocols) may see deliverables and timelines move unpredictably.
Without regular EPA permitting, inspections, or enforcement, labs that rely on environmental permits must sustain internal compliance vigilance in the absence of federal oversight.
Agencies that supply routine safety, epidemiological, or environmental data are scaling back to minimal essential operations, potentially leaving labs with delayed access to critical datasets.
In many agencies, core capabilities are cut to only those functions required to protect human life or property.
What Lab Leaders Should Do Now
- Revisit project timelines: Recognize that regulatory submission dates, funding disbursements, and permit cycles may shift.
- Document internal compliance: Maintain logs, audits, and safety checks independent of federal interaction.
- Communicate with stakeholders: Funders, collaborators, and regulatory bodies should be notified of possible delays.
- Prioritize essential operations: Identify which experiments, sample storage, or assays must continue even under constrained oversight.
- Monitor agency updates: Shutdowns evolve, and agencies may alter which functions are considered “essential” or “excepted.”
—Janette Wider
