Georgia Tech Prepares for Potential Federal Government Shutdown

The United States government is quickly approaching the extended deadline of Jan. 19 to reach an agreement on federal spending for the current fiscal year, which began October 1, 2023. This date is one of two extended deadlines passed by Congress in November to fund the U.S. government into 2024. The second deadline is currently set to expire Feb. 2.

If an agreement is not reached by the Jan. 19 deadline, it will result in a partial government shutdown, which will affect many programs, including the federal contracting work performed by Georgia Tech. Currently, Georgia Tech receives more than $85 million per month in federal funding for its research activities.

“As we have anticipated in previous scenarios, most Institute operations would not be immediately affected. However, a prolonged federal shutdown would require measures to preserve cash and maintain campus operations,” said Jim Fortner, vice president for Finance and Planning and interim chief financial officer.

Leadership continues to monitor the situation and is ready to implement strategies to help ensure business continuity in the event of a partial or full federal government shutdown. Current mitigation strategies include monitoring cash balances, accelerating federal invoicing, and assessing the need to defer major purchases and non-essential travel. More information, including how specific federal agencies are affected, will be provided as the situation develops.