Trump Administration puts $2.2 billion of Harvard’s research money on hold

Harvard won't give government a say in faculty hiring; Trump threatens its tax status.

Apr 15, 2025 - 17:58
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Trump Administration puts $2.2 billion of Harvard’s research money on hold

The Trump administration has been using federal research funding as a cudgel. The government has blocked billions of dollars in research funds and threatened to put a hold on even more in order to compel universities to adopt what it presents as essential reforms. In the case of Columbia University, that includes changes in the leadership of individual academic departments.

On Friday, the government sent a list of demands that it presented as necessary to "maintain Harvard’s financial relationship with the federal government." On Monday, Harvard responded that accepting these demands would "allow itself to be taken over by the federal government." The university also changed its home page into an extensive tribute to the research that would be eliminated if the funds were withheld.

The reprisals against Harvard began almost immediately. By the end of Monday, the Trump administration put $2.2 billion of Harvard's research funding on hold. And on Tuesday, Trump himself made threats against the university's tax exempt status.

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