Millions in federal funding for Cornell, Northwestern frozen

Millions of dollars in federal funding to Cornell University and Northwestern University have been frozen, the latest colleges to be targeted by the Trump administration. 

Around $790 million has been paused for Northwestern and more than $1 billion for Cornell over allegations the institutions are violating civil rights law, the White House said, The Associated Press reported.  

Both universities said they learned of the funding pauses through media reports and have not received official communications from the government.  

The only official communications, apparently, has been regarding 75 stop work orders Cornell said it received from the Department of Defense.  

“The affected grants include research into new materials for jet engines, propulsion systems, large-scale information networks, robotics, superconductors, and space and satellite communications, as well as cancer research — work of significance for our national defense, the competitiveness of our economy, and the health of our citizens,” Cornell leaders said in a statement.  

“We are actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions,” they added.  

Northwestern said it has received no notifications from the federal government about its plans to cut funding.  

“Federal funds that Northwestern receives drive innovative and life-saving research, like the recent development by Northwestern researchers of the world’s smallest pacemaker, and research fueling the fight against Alzheimer’s disease,” a statement said. “This type of research is now at jeopardy. The University has fully cooperated with investigations by both the Department of Education and Congress.” 

The Hill has reached out to the White House and Department of Education for comment.  

The universities join a host of schools, especially Ivy Leagues, that have received funding cuts under Trump, including Columbia, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania. The federal government said funding was taken away from those schools because of either alleged inaction on antisemitism or policies around transgender athletes.

Despite Columbia agreeing to meet all of the administration's stated demands, the federal government has not restarted the $400 million in grants it took away. 

Harvard could be next on the chopping block as the Trump administration said it was reviewing billions of dollars in contracts and sent a list of changes the university needs to make or else it could lose funding.