July 30, 2025 · Corruption, Ethics & Self-Dealing
· settlement
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Brown University Reaches Funding Settlement with Trump Administration
On July 30, 2025, Brown University announced an agreement with the federal government to restore frozen federal research funding, unlocking roughly $510 million in threatened medical and health-sciences grants and resolving three civil-rights compliance reviews. Brown agreed to pay $50 million over ten years to Rhode Island workforce-development groups and to accept new oversight of admissions and DEI-related policies, including adopting the government's definitions of male and female and barring gender-affirming surgery for minors.
The deal followed months of frozen NIH funding that had been accumulating at roughly $3.5 million per week in unreimbursed costs. A clause in the agreement states the settlement does not give the federal government authority over Brown's curriculum or academic speech.
The settlement was among the first of several university deals with the administration in 2025 and drew criticism over the precedent of universities negotiating individually with the White House to regain funding tied to statutory research grants.
The deal followed months of frozen NIH funding that had been accumulating at roughly $3.5 million per week in unreimbursed costs. A clause in the agreement states the settlement does not give the federal government authority over Brown's curriculum or academic speech.
The settlement was among the first of several university deals with the administration in 2025 and drew criticism over the precedent of universities negotiating individually with the White House to regain funding tied to statutory research grants.