(NewsNation) — Nearly 180 researchers working under now-terminated federal grants at Columbia University will soon receive “notices of non-renewal or termination,” school officials said in a statement Tuesday.
“We do not make these decisions lightly. We are deeply committed, at Columbia, to the critical work of invention, innovation and discovery,” the statement reads. “The excellence of our research portfolio is fundamental to our identity, and we are determined to support it.”
The Trump administration previously canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to the Ivy League school over what it called a failure to protect students from antisemitism. The campus was the scene of pro-Palestinian protests last year.
University leadership called the financial strain caused by the cuts “intense” and said some departments are “winding down activity but remain prepared to reestablish capabilities if support is restored.”
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On March 21, Columbia agreed to a list of demands from the Trump administration in order to restore funding. The terms included hiring more campus police, banning masks, a new definition of antisemitism and reforms to admissions practices.
Days later, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Columbia was “on the right track” toward again receiving federal funding.
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Columbia officials also announced the creation of a Research Stabilization Fund, which aims to help obtain new awards and fund the continuation of ongoing research projects. Over the next year, scientists will be able to apply internally for temporary funding.
“We are working on and planning for every eventuality, but the strain in the meantime, financially and on our research mission, is intense,” the statement said Tuesday.
Other top institutions are facing the administration’s demands, including Harvard. McMahon on Monday told the university in a letter that it will no longer be eligible for new research grants from the government — just days after Trump called for Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status.
