See what research at Tennessee universities was defunded in Trump's federal grant cuts
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is on a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) list of institutions set for grant termination. (Photo: John Partipilo)
Modeling for infectious disease research, vaccine education programs, a rural mental health program, disinformation research and a project developing evacuation route technology for active shooter scenarios are among the federally funded grants at Tennessee universities terminated by the Trump administration.
The University of Tennessee system reported losing $37.7 million in funding for 42 grants earlier this month, the majority of which came from grants for the UT Institute of Agriculture. Six grants remain 'pending.'
Nine partial stop work orders are in effect, preventing portions of projects from being completed but not impacting the total award, according to University of Tennessee spokesperson Melissa Tindell. The university released a full list of its federal grants on Wednesday.
Middle Tennessee State University reported losing roughly $640,000 due to 10 grant terminations, encompassing grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences and the Tennessee Department of Health.
Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University, East Tennessee State University and the University of Memphis did not respond to requests for a list of terminated grants. Records maintained by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) list millions more in grant cuts at those schools, but data posted to the DOGE website is imperfect.
UT system loses $37.7M in federal grants; Institute of Agriculture is hardest hit
For example, DOGE's website lists only one terminated grant at MTSU: a roughly $305,000 National Science Foundation grant for the development of a 'Framework for Integrating Technology for Equity.' While this is among MTSU's terminated grants, several others are not listed in DOGE's data, including a program that supported students with disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), archeological research at Fort Negley and research on COVID-19 health disparities.
One of the grant recipients — The Alliance of Students with Disabilities for Inclusion, Networking, and Transition Opportunities in STEM – stated on its website that its NSF funding terminated on May 2, 'due to the alignment of our work with the agency's evolving priorities.'
'This decision does not reflect the quality or importance of the work we've done together — work that has empowered students with disabilities and advanced equity in STEM across the country,' the website states.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the selection process for terminated grants.
Broadly, President Donald Trump's executive orders have included orders to terminate ''diversity, equity, and inclusion' discrimination in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending.' Trump's administration has also taken aim at Biden-era climate policies.
Of the 42 grants terminated across the University of Tennessee system, nearly 40% referenced diversity, inclusion, minorities, race, underserved or marginalized groups, sexuality or gender in their titles. Five terminated grants mentioned infectious disease or immunization in their titles, and COVID-19 disparities or prevention efforts were specifically mentioned in three.
Cuts to collegiate research can have impacts far beyond their fields.
Most basic, foundational research is done in the academic sphere, according to Alexandra Graddy-Reed, an associate professor at the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy. It's more difficult to tell if this type of research will be profitable, so about 60% of this type of research is funded by the federal government rather than industries or nonprofits, she said.
'Without the federal government funding academic research, it would drastically decrease what we can accomplish,' Graddy-Reed said.
A portion of the University of Tennessee's terminated grants deal with COVID-19 disparities. Graddy-Reed used this as an example of potential long-term implications.
'If you look at COVID in particular, Vanderbilt was one of the first organizations leading to a vaccine through their research, but that research wasn't just started in 2020, right?' she said. It was decades in the making.
'When you stop that basic research, when you stop understanding how pandemics spread, how they impact our populations, when the next pandemic hits, we are not as prepared to address the issue,' Graddy-Reed said.
Federal judge extends order blocking 'devastating' NIH cap on research payments
Terrell Morton, an assistant professor of identity and justice in STEM education at the University of Illinois Chicago's School of Education, had similar concerns.
'One of the things that people talk about is this concept of brain drain, or the idea that as a country, we're going to lose a lot of the rich innovation, because colleges and universities are sort of the main driving sites for research-based innovation,' Morton said.
Researchers at MTSU and University of Tennessee declined interviews.
Regarding the termination of multiple grants that included a focus on minorities, Morton said science has shown that 'the experiences, the needs and the outcomes of people differ based off of not only things like their race, but also their gender, their socioeconomic status, whether or not they live in an urban or rural or suburban neighborhood.'
Morton highlighted the National Science Foundation's authority to engage in 'broader impacts work,' which can include increasing participation of women, people with disabilities and underrepresented minorities in STEM, according to NSF's website. Morton said that also includes veterans and people from rural communities.
'If you remove federal funding from grants that explore things like the implications of rurality on mental health, then there's not going to be any knowledge or resources generated to help people in rural spaces that don't have access to high-quality health care or don't have access to high-quality mental health services,' he said.
Further implications stretch to the economy — less funding means less support for graduate students, research technicians, and publication editors. Less funding also means fewer researchers attending professional conferences, booking hotels and meeting space and supporting the service industry in conference locations, Morton said.
One of the things that people talk about is this concept of brain drain, or the idea that as a country, we're going to lose a lot of the rich innovation, because colleges and universities are sort of the main driving sites for research-based innovation.
– Terrell Morton, University of Illinois Chicago
Graddy-Reed said less research funding can erode an institution's ability to provide the infrastructure and equipment needed to do research.
'Science is America's competitive advantage, and we rely heavily on government funding for that,' she said. 'If that gets cut, we're in decline as a society, but so is our competitive advantage in the global economy.'
While grant funding cuts were catalyzed by politics, Morton said these cuts impact everyone, regardless of their political affiliation. He said he's hopeful that people will see the results not from a political perspective but from a practical one: what benefits the nation and its communities.
'In my opinion, what truly benefits our nation and our communities are research and scientific explorations that can help develop new innovations and outcomes that elevate the life, the liberty, and the pursuit of happiness of our people,' he said.
Terminated grants at MTSU include:
Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (Mid-Level Alliance) TLSAMP
NSF Includes Alliance: The Alliance of Students with Disabilities for Inclusion, Networking, and Transition Opportunities in STEM
Race, Religion, and STEM: (Examining the Intersections for Black Students)
Collaborative Research: Framework for Integrating Technology for Equity
Archaeological and Ethnographic Field Research at Fort Negley (in Nashville)
An Investigation of Virtual Reality Initiatives and Workforce Development Outcomes in Libraries
The Works of Anne de Graville: A New Edition and English Translation
Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases – Building and Strengthening Epidemiology, Laboratory and Health Information Systems Capacity
A-IP19-1901 Immunization and Vaccines for Children
Covid Vaccination Pods – TN Covid-19 Health Disparities Initiative
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