LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Louisville placed an "immediate pause" on all faculty and staff positions until July 15 as it reviews the impact of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump since he took office last month.

In an email to faculty and staff Friday morning, university leadership said the only exception to the freeze is those employees who already have verbal or written commitments.

"Given the volatility, uncertainty and potential impact on UofL’s financial situation, the university is being proactive in implementing strategic fiscal management measures to ensure a balanced budget," the letter said. "Many peer universities have announced similar measures to cope with the uncertainty."

Secondly, UofL said Friday it will suspend all expenditures related to its departmental research incentive funds and "encourage faculty to limit expenditures of individual research incentive funds." Any exception must be approved by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration.

The letter, signed by five university leaders, including President Kim Schatzel and Provost Gerry Bradley, cited the Trump administration's decision earlier this month to strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars to cover so-called indirect expenses of studying Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. UofL said Friday the cuts could reduce the university's annual NIH funding between $20 million and $23 million.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the cuts, saying the policy will endanger patients and delay new lifesaving discoveries. UofL acknowledged many of the executive orders have been paused but chose to be "proactive."

"More details will be provided soon," the letter said. "... Thank you for your cooperation during these challenging times. Working together, we will overcome these obstacles."

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