Columbia University announced Tuesday that approximately 180 staff members will receive termination or non-renewal notices due to the elimination of federal research grants. The move follows Donald Trump‘s administration cutting $400 million in funding, prompting warnings from professors that political interference could set back scientific advancement for decades.
The affected employees represent about 20% of those funded by the now-terminated grants. In a statement, acting President Claire Shipman said Columbia is facing “intense strain” on its research mission and is establishing a “Research Stabilization Fund” to support scientific work through future uncertainties.
The Trump administration has increasingly targeted universities, citing campus antisemitism, student protests related to the Israel-Hamas war, and what it describes as “race-exclusionary practices” linked to DEI programs. Columbia, once a focal point of these protests, agreed in March to hire more campus police and enforce stricter protest policies in an effort to retain funding—but not before the interim president stepped down.
The university warned of further measures in the coming months to protect its financial position and adapt its research infrastructure.
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