Trump cuts $400 million in US grants to Columbia, prompting major layoffs and research halt

Columbia University announced on Tuesday that it is laying off nearly 180 employees after US President Donald Trump canceled $400 million in federal funding. The decision, which affects a wide range of research programs at the Ivy League institution, comes in response to the university’s handling of student protests related to the war in Gaza.The layoffs represent about 20% of staff supported by the now-terminated federal grants. Columbia said it had to make “deliberate, considered decisions” about financial resource allocation, according to a statement released on May 7, as reported by the Associated Press.Funding canceled over handling of campus protestsThe Trump administration withdrew the funding in March, citing Columbia’s failure to adequately respond to antisemitic incidents during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. These protests, which began in October 2023 and escalated in April, included an encampment and the occupation of a university building, leading to multiple arrests. Columbia became a central site in a nationwide wave of student-led activism over the Israel-Hamas war.According to the Associated Press, university officials said the affected positions are directly tied to the canceled grants. The work being scaled back includes projects on antiviral nasal sprays for infectious diseases, research on maternal mortality and morbidity, treatments for chronic illnesses like long Covid, newborn care for opioid withdrawal, and colorectal cancer screenings.Cuts have major impact on research and staffingJessica Murphy, a spokesperson for Columbia, declined to confirm if more layoffs would follow but noted the university is taking broader steps to manage its finances. These include maintaining current salary levels and offering voluntary retirement incentives, as reported by the Associated Press.Faculty members expressed deep concern about the consequences of the funding cut. Marcel Agueros, an astronomy professor and secretary of Columbia’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, called the layoffs “dispiriting” and said that research efforts have already been severely disrupted. “When there’s an interruption in funding, people have to leave, new people can’t be hired, some initiatives have to be put on hold, others need to be stopped,” he said, as quoted by the Associated Press.Trump administration demands institutional changesFollowing the funding cutoff, Columbia agreed to a series of conditions set by the Republican administration to regain support. These included revising student disciplinary procedures, banning masks at protests, restricting demonstrations in academic spaces, adopting a new definition of antisemitism, and placing the Middle Eastern studies program under the oversight of a vice provost.US Education Secretary Linda McMahon acknowledged that Columbia was “on the right track” but, as reported by the Associated Press, declined to say when or if the funding would be restored. The Education Department has not issued further public comments on the matter.