In response to ongoing federal funding cuts, policy changes, and financial uncertainty, several prominent universities, both public and private, have begun tightening their budgets through measures including hiring freezes, spending limits, and increased budget oversight.
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faculty were informed that the university would lose over $100 million in federal funding, prompting a hiring freeze for non-faculty positions. Washington State University is also reviewing its budget and preparing for potential cuts, including hiring and travel freezes.
Northwestern University President Michael Schill, Provost Kathleen Hagerty, and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Amanda Distel released a joint statement regarding the related changes on their campus: “These measures will impact almost every part of our University in some way. We regret that some of the plans and aspirations of members of our community may be constrained, at least for now. While we are doing all we can to advocate for and protect our community, we feel it is necessary to take these steps until further notice to help ensure Northwestern is best positioned to navigate this period of uncertainty without permanent damage to our operations or mission.”
As they assess the long-term impact of federal funding cuts, especially the NIH grant cap, more institutions are expected to implement similar measures. Several states, including Iowa, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, and Florida, face substantial losses in research funding due to the new NIH policies. The total cumulative losses could reach hundreds of millions of dollars across the nation.
