Pending university research, the National Weather Center and Tinker Air Force Base will feel the effects of the federal government’s shutdown Wednesday.
The government shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning after a vote to fund the government through Nov. 21 missed its deadline. The Senate failed to pass funding bills that would help re-open the government on Wednesday afternoon.
Here’s how OU and Norman are affected.
University research, financial aid
OU Daily independently obtained an email sent to OU faculty and staff that stated pending university research proposals and funds will be affected by the government shutdown.
No new awards, including grants and contracts, will be distributed during the shutdown, and federal grant payments will be delayed, according to the email.
Michael Purcell, associate vice president of research and partnerships, wrote to the Daily in an email Wednesday that currently no research proposals have been denied due to the shutdown, and the office of research and partnerships doesn’t know how much funding will be affected.
The email to faculty and staff states that most university research funding has already been secured at the university, so operations can continue normally. Students with active research projects will likely be able to continue their work, Purcell wrote.
Projects taking place in federal facilities, like the National Weather Center, may be halted, according to OU’s executive order frequently asked questions website. Students will likely still be able to submit research proposals, but they won’t be reviewed by staff until the government is open, the website reads.
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. wrote in a Wednesday mass email to students and faculty that a short-term shutdown won’t impact most research, but a prolonged shutdown could.
Harroz wrote that students seeking financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education or loan forgiveness may experience delays. The email advised students to continue to pay their loans.
The university doesn’t expect federal loans or Pell Grants to be impacted, and the FAFSA application is open and available, according to Harroz.
National Weather Center
At the National Weather Center, a component agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, federal employees are not allowed to work and their office spaces are closed, according to a student employee, who requested to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation. Employees can continue to use their laptops for work and access data they have downloaded.
The student employee told OU Daily Wednesday that most student employees are paid through a research partner under NOAA, the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations. Federal employees can’t access their email or Slack channels, but student employees under the institute can access them.
The National Weather Center did not respond to OU Daily’s request for comment by the time of publication.
Tinker Air Force Base
Lt. Anthony Highland wrote in an email to the Daily Wednesday that Tinker Air Force Base cannot share exact numbers of employees impacted by the shutdown. The base is Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer, with over 26,000 military and civilian employees.
Tinker’s essential operations and certain community and administrative services will continue, but all other services will be limited or halted, according to a Wednesday press release.
According to a statement from Air Force officials provided by Highland, the loss of funding could impact the branch’s technological advancement and ability to respond to threats.
“A lapse in appropriation, depending on its length, can significantly impact our readiness, modernization efforts, and overall ability to maintain technological superiority,” the statement read.
City services
Norman Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman wrote to the Daily in a Wednesday text message that essential services like police, fire and utilities will continue daily operations.
Holman wrote that a prolonged shutdown could delay federal funds and grants for housing programs like Section 8 Rental Assistance and low income housing tax credits as well as transportation projects funded through state Transportation Department grants.
With many federal employees living in Norman, Holman wrote the city’s economy could be impacted, too. He wrote that city leaders will work on local solutions.
“We will remain focused on keeping Norman running strong,” Holman wrote.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza, Natalie Armour, Thomas Pablo and Anusha Fathepure. Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
