The Office of Management and Budget has released M-20-17,  “Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations”.  The document expands on the previously issued guidance (M-20-11).

The document addresses additional flexibility to grant recipients performing essential research and services necessary to carry out the emergency response related to COVID-19. These flexibilities include:

• Application Deadlines
• Waiver of Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) Publications
• No-cost extensions on expiring awards
• Abbreviated non-competitive continuation requests
• Allowability of salaries, project activities and costs not normally chargeable to Awards
• Exemption of certain procurement requirements
• Extension of Close-Out
• More

These exceptions will be issued by the federal sponsoring agency on a case-by-case basis.  If you feel that any of the relief listed within the new guidance may apply to you, please contact the Sponsored Project analyst under which your concern falls.