6 Apr 2025

Dozens of Federal Research Grants to Princeton University Suspended

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Federal funding for dozens of research grants to Princeton University totaling $210 million was frozen by such agencies as the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Department of Defense.

The frozen funding is almost half of Princeton’s federal funding for research.

The ostensible reason for the funding freeze was an investigation of antisemitism, which has been a common rationale for cutting federal funds to other universities. In April 2024, editor-in-chief Zachary Marschall of conservative website Campus Reform filed complaints with the Department of Education against at least a dozen universities, alleging antisemitism in connection with campus protests about Israel’s war in Gaza.

University President Christopher Eisgruber has spoken out against Donald Trump’s use of federal university funding for leverage against universities. In the Atlantic magazine, he criticized the government’s cutoff of $400 million to Columbia University (after which Columbia gave in to government demands). In a later interview with PBS, he warned against appeasement, saying “once you make concessions once, it’s hard not to make them again.” Eisgruber opposes a substantial increase in tax on university endowments, which Trump’s officials want.

Princeton is freezing most faculty hiring, apparently to hedge against disruption from the federal government.

Eisgruber also chairs the American Association of Universities, which represents 70 research universities. Without specifying any particular university, AAU issued a statement condemning “withdrawal of research funding for reasons unrelated to research.” The statement made it clear that cutting off federal funding for research while an investigation is underway about something unrelated is not normal.

“We urge the administration and Congress … to work through the established Department of Education and Department of Justice procedures for investigating allegations of discrimination. Following these established procedures is the best way to ensure accountability by universities and to preserve our nation’s place as the global leader in science and innovation.”

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