8/11/25: Florida’s universities face research overhaul courtesy of Trump and DeSantis (Politico) While institutions like Harvard University and Columbia University are taking heat from the Trump administration, colleges all across the country — including deep red Florida — are feeling the squeeze of sweeping federal research cuts. Florida universities this year saw more than 90 grants terminated across key federal agencies. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/10/floridas-universities-face-research-overhaul-courtesy-of-trump-and-desantis-00499572
8/9/25: Why the ivory tower wants a deal with Trump (Politico) “It’s been made extremely clear to us from day one by members of Congress that if we don’t do something, somebody else will,” Kelvin Droegemeier, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who’s spearheading the effort on behalf of a coalition of universities and research institutes, told POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/09/universities-trump-science-health-funding-00500531
8/8/25: Trump Administration Threatens to Take Over Harvard’s Patents (Wall Street Journal) The Trump administration is warning Harvard University that it could take over its patents, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, if a review finds the university hasn’t complied with federal law, an escalation of the continuing negotiations between the White House and America’s oldest university.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/harvard-patents-trump-d4297409
8/8/25: Trump order aims to politicize decisions on federal science grants (Science, COGR quoted): The executive order could also bolster OMB’s campaign to drive down what agencies spend on indirect costs, that is, the facilities and administrative support needed to carry out federally funded research on campuses across the country. Institutions now negotiate individually with the government to set reimbursement rates that vary widely and are automatically added to the amount awarded to carry out the research. But the order says agencies should favor institutions with lower indirect cost rates, making indirect costs a major factor in the decision on what science to fund. That’s another bad idea, says Matt Owens, president of COGR, one of 10 scientific organizations that are urging Congress and OMB to adopt an alternative reimbursement method they say accounts for how much universities actually spend. “The administration refuses to acknowledge and pay for the true costs of research critical to the security of the nation and the health of its people,” Owens says. https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-order-aims-politicize-decisions-federal-science-grants
See also: Trump executive order gives politicians control over all federal grants, alarming researchers (AP) https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-federal-funding-grants-nih-fema-4b4b6c23a25a8ae3fdc7b43c4586c999
8/8/25: Trump Wants U.C.L.A. to Pay $1 Billion to Restore Its Research Funding (New York Times) The Trump administration has ended about $500 million for the Los Angeles-based university. The president said he wanted nearly double that to restart the flow of funds. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/trump-ucla-research-funding-deal.html
