AMHERST — A briefly considered White House federal funding freeze order and other possible changes in how federal money is disbursed, including for grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion projects, is prompting University of Massachusetts leaders to keep researchers regularly updated about possible funding shortfalls and disruptions to their ongoing work.

While the order related to freezing federal assistance, including money previously authorized by Congress, was rescinded after being both challenged in court and paused by a federal judge, UMass is keeping its employees and students updated on federal actions through a web page at https://www.umass.edu/news/federal-actions.

The most recent update, on Wednesday, relates to changes to the university’s Title IX policy based on adjustments at the federal level.

“We are continuing to actively monitor and assess the situation to understand any potential impact,” UMass spokesperson Emily Gest said in a statement. “Despite these uncertainties, we are committed to ensuring our students are positioned for academic and personal success and faculty continue to undertake groundbreaking research and scholarship.”

Earlier, on Jan. 28, a message to the campus was sent from Michael Malone, vice chancellor for Research & Engagement, and Laura Vandenberg, associate vice chancellor for Research & Engagement, about how “recent and emerging developments in federal funding for higher education are raising well-founded and serious concerns, both on campus and nationally.”

That letter came in response to the Office of Management and Budget’s “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan and Other Financial Assistance Programs” memo, observing the objections from several organizations, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.

In their communication, Malone and Vandenberg outlined how faculty researchers should proceed, noting that some agencies, such as the Department of Justice, had told the university that its faculty couldn’t continue to draw down this money, promoting UMass to pledge to step in, where needed.

“In cases like this, the sponsored activities should continue and the campus will provide the necessary funding until the grant funds can be drawn down again,” they wrote.

Another part of the letter focused on whether aspects of the funding would be pulled, such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s direction that any activities that focus on “diversity, equity and inclusion, Community Benefits Programs and Justice40 requirements” be suspended, and that costs for these activities incurred after Jan. 27 wouldn’t be reimbursed.

“We are acutely aware of the distress that many researchers are experiencing as a result of this situation and will do our best to mitigate the impacts and keep our community informed,” Malone and Vandenberg wrote.

On Jan. 24, four days into the new White House administration, a letter was published by UMass suggesting that the change in federal priorities might also mean a shift in “your current projects and those still awaiting funding from federal agencies or sponsors.”

“We encourage you to proactively communicate with your faculty and staff to let them know that the campus and university system are continuously assessing these situations,” with a suggestion that people stay abreast of developments with the UMass federal actions web page.

The letters also stated that campus officials are in touch with the state’s federal delegation to learn more about potential ramifications and would work with other UMass campuses and higher education institutions to assess next steps.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.