The Trump administration’s latest move to review funding for Harvard University has raised concerns about the institution’s ability to enroll international students and host foreign researchers. Harvard, a prominent institution known for its significant contributions to research, relies heavily on external funding, with approximately $100 million in federal contracts now under scrutiny. The administration is moving forward on several actions that have already imposed dire financial consequences on the university. Currently, they are doing a comprehensive funding review to right these wrongs.
In recent months, the White House has taken a hard line against Harvard. To that end, they have frozen nearly $2.65 billion in federal grants. The administration went so far as to threaten Harvard’s tax-exempt status, a threat that led Harvard to sue the administration. Yet the cumulative cuts in just the month of April amounted to an alarming $450 million. This created a ripple effect of panic among graduate and Ph.D. students over lost jobs and incomplete research projects.
An important research area that might be disproportionately lost is the Sinclair Lab at Harvard Medical School. David Sinclair, world-famous anti-aging geneticist, established the lab to address urgent health challenges. The team focuses especially on interventions for aging, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, infertility, and immune disorders. Sinclair spoke passionately about the role international scholars play in keeping the lab running.
“The loss of funding not only halts ongoing experiments that cannot simply be restarted, but also jeopardizes the contributions of international scholars who are integral to the lab’s operations and the wealth of the US,” – David Sinclair
The administration’s review could affect up to 30 contracts totaling an estimated $100 million in costs over their lifetimes. These funding cuts threaten important research and outreach initiatives like the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard. Tens of thousands depend on these resources to help them make academic progress.
Adam Nguyen, a co-counsel and representative for the impacted graduate students, promised to continue fighting for justice. He noted that further cuts in funding would lead to layoffs. An often-overlooked impact of government shutdowns is that research-dependent graduate students may receive immediate stop-work orders.
“It’s as simple as that. There’s no money to fund their research. You’re talking about cuts, lay-offs and immediate stop-work orders for many graduate students.” – Adam Nguyen
Harvard has made its name on cutting-edge discoveries, made possible by a variety of funds—including international partnerships. Our international students have been deeply integral to Harvard’s academic excellence.
“Without us, Harvard is not Harvard,” – an international student.
The Trump administration has made no commitments to automatically withdraw funds. Rather, they will kick off a project of public scrutiny over the federal dollars that make their way to Harvard. This creates an additional layer of unpredictability for the researchers and scholars that depend on these dollars to keep their work going.
Given the previously mentioned developments, research at Harvard’s future is uncertain. Many researchers, both from inside the U.S. and outside of it, are deeply dependent on external funding for their research. Cuts to this funding would cripple their work and progress.
The situation has escalated tensions between Harvard and the Trump administration, which has previously stated that “Harvard is gonna have to change its ways.” The conflict that is currently unfolding deepens these crucial discussions surrounding academic freedom and funding sources. It highlights how political decisions continue to violate education and research.
As the administration’s funding review process goes forward, its effects will surely be felt throughout Harvard’s academic community and far beyond.
