Universities say life-saving research at risk as White House withholds billions over bias probes

The Trump Funding Freeze on universities has halted over $1.8 billion in federal support to Cornell and Northwestern, as investigations into civil rights violations and campus responses to protests and diversity policies escalate.

A White House official confirmed the funding freeze late Tuesday, citing “credible and concerning” Title VI investigations. The statute bars discrimination in federally funded programmes. Cornell has reportedly had more than 75 Department of Defense-funded research projects halted, while Northwestern also stands to lose hundreds of millions vital to scientific advancement.

“We are actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions,” Cornell stated, highlighting that the halted research includes projects central to national defence, cybersecurity, and health.

Northwestern, too, expressed concern, saying in a statement to CNN: “Federal funds drive innovative, life-saving research — including the development of the world’s smallest pacemaker and studies on Alzheimer’s. This research is now at risk.”

Both institutions said they learned of the freeze from media reports and had not yet received official notification from the federal government.

The crackdown comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign against elite academic institutions. Over recent months, federal agencies have launched investigations and imposed financial penalties tied to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, as well as university responses to campus protests against the Gaza war.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced in March that it had opened Title VI investigations into 45 universities. It reiterated that schools must end racial preferences and stereotypes in education programmes — a move widely interpreted as a direct challenge to DEI frameworks.

Just last week, Harvard University received a letter from federal officials demanding it dismantle DEI initiatives and enforce a ban on mask-wearing at campus protests if it hoped to retain its $9 billion in federal funding. Brown University, meanwhile, learned it could lose $510 million over similar concerns.

The clampdown has rattled Ivy League campuses. On Tuesday, the Department of Commerce revealed it would strip Princeton University of nearly $4 million in federal funding for climate research. This follows the suspension of $210 million in research grants linked to an antisemitism probe at Princeton.

Columbia University has also been caught in the crossfire. Students described a “tense mood” on campus as federal scrutiny intensified. The administration has reportedly explored deportation measures against international students involved in anti-Israel demonstrations.

Michael Thaddeus, a mathematics professor at Columbia, recently addressed a campus rally, warning that the current climate was eroding academic freedom and chilling campus discourse.

While some institutions are negotiating with federal agencies to restore funding, many fear the consequences of failing to meet the Trump administration’s policy demands. The White House argues these steps are necessary to combat antisemitism, restore political neutrality in academic spaces, and curtail what it views as the overreach of DEI policies.

Critics, however, warn that funding cuts threaten essential research and could politicise scientific and academic work. “This isn’t just about culture wars,” said one academic. “This affects medical breakthroughs, national security, and the country’s global competitiveness.”

For now, universities impacted by the Trump funding freeze remain in limbo — anticipating further financial losses, reshaping research priorities, and struggling to balance compliance with federal demands while upholding academic integrity.