As Harvard University resists calls for changes to campus policy, President Donald Trump’s administration says it would freeze $2.2 billion in government research grants for the university in a high-stakes dispute.
As the White House uses government funding as leverage to demand conformity with its political agenda, the conflict between the Republican administration and the wealthiest college in the country will be closely followed throughout higher education.
However, researchers at the Ivy League school and its affiliated institutes will be the ones most affected right now. Others are concerned that life-saving scientific research would be jeopardised, while others have applauded Harvard’s stance against calls to crack down on demonstrators and seek greater diversity of opinions among professors.
Without include financial aid like scholarships and student loans, government funds made for 10.5% of total revenue at the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university in 2023.
Which studies will be impacted?
A list of the impacted grants has not been made public by Harvard, and it’s probable that the university is still unsure of what grants might be stopped.
Only when work orders were suspended at other sites affected by funding freezes did the specifics of the reductions become apparent.
Brown University administrators said Tuesday they were still unsure of which programs may be targeted, despite a White House official announcing plans to freeze half a billion dollars in federal funds on April 3.
According to a Harvard Education Department spokesperson, the university’s affiliated hospitals will not be impacted.
Five teaching hospitals in the Boston area are financially autonomous non-profits and are connected to Harvard Medical School, one of the best medical schools in the world.
Their research is mostly supported by federal grants, and many of their staff members lecture at Harvard Medical School.
However, research at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which reports that 46% of its budget last year came from federal funds, is among the activities that may be at risk of being eliminated.
This funded research on HIV, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and stroke, among other topics.
Why doesn’t Harvard fund research with its substantial endowment?
Harvard boasts the nation’s largest endowment, valued at $53 billion. whenever, according to Harvard officials, the endowment is not a general fund that the institution can utilise whenever it sees fit.
A lot of donors designated their funds for a particular project or objective. Additionally, Harvard has stated that it uses a portion of the endowment to help cover the cost of tuition for low-income and middle-class students.
Harvard began negotiating a $750 million loan from Wall Street last week to help pay for basic expenses.
The endeavour is part of contingency planning for a variety of potential eventualities, according to the institution.
How will undergraduate students be affected by this?
Harvard undergraduate students may have fewer research chances if federal research monies are lost.
Less exposure to eminent researchers may result if professors are turned off by the funding reductions.
Harvard increased financial aid just last month to lower tuition, housing, and board costs for middle-class families. The impact of losing government money on those initiatives is unclear.
In order to free up funds for research, outsiders have recommended that Harvard and other colleges reduce the amount of upscale amenities offered to students.
Approximately 7,000 undergraduate students and 18,000 graduate students are enrolled at Harvard.
