Northwestern University nears White House deal to restore funding
Northwestern University is expected to reach a deal with the Trump administration “soon,” potentially restoring $790 million in frozen federal research funding, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The deal could also resolve several government investigations into allegations of anti-Semitism on campus. An agency spokesperson said in a statement that “the parties are negotiating in good faith and making progress.”
“We look forward to soon announcing a final agreement that will ensure that all students will have equal learning opportunities, that hiring and admissions decisions will be based on merit, and that the university will once again prioritize the pursuit of truth and academic excellence,” the statement said.
The New York Times first reported the pending deal Wednesday. Northwestern did not respond to a request for comment.
The university’s research funding was frozen in April amid several federal investigations into campus climate for Jewish students. The abrupt loss of funds sent shockwaves through the school’s research infrastructure and led to a series of budget cuts, including hundreds of layoffs this summer.
Northwestern could be forced to pay a $75 million fine to resolve the dispute, according to the Times, citing two anonymous sources. The Department of Education noted that the agreement “is not final.”
President Donald Trump has sought to crack down on elite universities, describing them as centers of liberalism and anti-Semitism. His administration has frozen research funding for several other institutions, some of which have entered into similar agreements.
Columbia University has agreed to pay a $200 million settlement over three years, in addition to implementing new policies to combat anti-Semitism. Brown University agreed to pay $50 million, while Cornell University committed $30 million, plus an additional $30 million investment in agricultural research.
Some have compared these payments to extortion. When reports circulated that Northwestern was in talks with the White House in August, hundreds of faculty members signed a statement calling the school “complicit in an attack on institutions of higher education.”
Intense federal pressure led to the abrupt resignation of former NU President Michael Schill in September. Schill had faced a wave of conservative criticism since last year over his handling of Northwestern’s pro-Palestinian encampment. While he didn’t directly address what led to his resignation, he highlighted “difficult issues” at the federal level.
His interim replacement, Henry Bienen, was announced shortly after. Bienen, a political scientist, previously served as president of Northwestern from 1995 to 2009.
In September, the university reaffirmed its commitment to temporarily fund research out of its own pocket during the freeze. At one point, Northwestern was spending $10 million each week to keep research afloat, professors told the Tribune this summer.
“Despite the freeze, we will continue to meet the essential funding needs of our university researchers at least until the end of the calendar year,” the university said.
