Harvard Allocates Millions to Offset Research Funding Freeze

(MENAFN) Harvard University President Alan Garber announced on Wednesday that the institution will allocate USD250 million from its own resources to sustain research projects disrupted by the Trump administration’s decision to halt over USD2 billion in grants and USD60 million in federal contracts.

In a message addressed to the university body, Garber, along with Provost John Manning, stated that Harvard’s leadership will partner with its researchers to thoughtfully revise their programs in light of the current financial difficulties.

“Although we cannot absorb the entire cost of the suspended or canceled federal funds, we will mobilize financial resources to support critical research activity for a transitional period as we continue to work with our researchers to identify alternative funding sources," they emphasized.

According to university representative Jonathan Swain, Garber will voluntarily reduce his salary by 25 percent for the 2026 fiscal year in reaction to the federal funding reductions, as reported by a newspaper.

The Trump administration’s actions to freeze federal support for numerous universities, including Harvard, came in response to campus demonstrations backing Palestine and the presence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

As part of the federal response, the administration launched the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism in coordination with the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and the General Services Administration.

The administration ultimately chose to suspend USD2.2 billion in financial support and USD60 million in contracts directed to Harvard.

In return, the university initiated legal proceedings to challenge the move, asserting that the funding suspension imposed by the government was unlawful.

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