Reneé McCarthy: How do we protect research funding in a changing landscape

Federal funding allows UIC researchers to address real-world problems and improve local and global communities through innovation and discovery. Reneé McCarthy, who serves as senior associate university counsel in the Office of University Counsel works as legal counsel to preserve and protect those research activities.

A lawyer for over 30 years, McCarthy didn't work in the area of research until 2022, when she began serving as legal counsel for research integrity matters. But as the federal research funding landscape changed drastically during the last year, she became much more involved.

"I'm a huge advocate and believer in higher education," said McCarthy. "In a world where things are a little topsy-turvy, it gives me hope to be one small part in preserving the incredible work being done by our researchers at UIC."

"Many of the funding opportunities that we've had as an institution for many, many years started to disappear," McCarthy said. "Research funding based upon language used to describe the research were challenged, relying heavily on the provision that it no longer aligns with agency priorities."

Shifts in federal funding priorities may have changed but communications between government agencies and research institutions helped ensure project alignment so research could continue, she said. McCarthy and her team have adapted on their own -sometimes with only a few hours' notice to wind down projects and submit challenges to funding cuts - a process that historically had a 120-day window.

"What we've done is to take a very careful and measured approach, mitigating risk in every situation that we can and challenging decisions when appropriate," said McCarthy. "It's a privilege to get federal grant funding, and we're trying our best to navigate this new world that we're living in."

McCarthy and her team drafted comprehensive legal challenges for numerous terminated federal grants on which UIC was the prime recipient. Meanwhile, state-led lawsuits contested changes to indirect costs, the "overhead" funding for researchers such as utilities and research equipment. These legal approaches helped protect millions of dollars for the U of I System and preserve the continuity of research activities across UIC.

"I'm blown away by the work being done on campus, and heartbroken by the types of projects that were being terminated," said McCarthy. "This is one way I can help. That keeps me motivated."

- Rebecca Clair, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research