MIT joins group of universities suing the DOD over funding cuts
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has joined a lawsuit against the Department of Defense (DOD) over funding cuts related to indirect costs for military-based research.
The institution joins a group of 11 other universities, including Brown University in Rhode Island, and three higher education organizations that filed the complaint against the DOD on Monday.
Boston University supported the lawsuit as a member of the Association of American Universities.
As of Tuesday, a federal judge had approved a temporary restraining order to halt the implementation of the cuts.
'We underscore that MIT drives US national security through its cutting-edge research, defense innovation and substantial contributions to military leadership,' said Kimberly Allen, a spokesperson for MIT, in an email.
DOD declined to comment because it is ongoing litigation. Boston University didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
'DOD's latest action would have an immediate and dire effect on our national security by disrupting research designed to help our military,' the group of those suing said in a statement released Monday.
Read more: MIT sues federal science agency over cuts to 'crucial research'
The lawsuit comes in response to the DOD's announcement that it would limit facilities and administrative reimbursements to a 15% cap for all DOD research grants. Facilities and administrative costs include maintenance and administrative staff, research facilities and safety expenses, among others, which the group cites as being essential costs in maintaining the country's status as a leader in military technology research.
Initially proposed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a memo sent on May 14, the cuts are set to save the DOD $900 million per year, according to Hegseth.
According to court filings, MIT received $107 million in funding from the DOD in the 2024 fiscal year. They estimate that a 15% cap on Facilities and administrative expenses by the DOD would result in an estimated loss of $21 million annually. MIT has expressed it intends to apply for new funding awards from the DOD in addition to pending funding proposals.
MIT is also involved in lawsuits against other federal organizations over cuts to indirect costs in other departments, namely the National Institute of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Science Foundation.
'Far reaching consequences' — UMass Amherst sounds the alarm amid federal uncertainty
As federal funding cuts hit Harvard, a private investment firm and other donors step up
20 NIH grants restored to UMass system after judge rules against Trump admin
Trump admin asks court to rule against Harvard without a trial
Federal judge orders Trump admin to reinstate hundreds of NIH grants
Read the original article on MassLive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
ESPN report reveals how 'miserly' Lakers have been under Jeanie Buss
The ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers is changing hands. On Wednesday, the Buss family, which has owned the team since 1979, reportedly agreed to sell a majority share of it to Mark Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, for a valuation of $10 billion. While the Lakers have become one of the most prestigious sports franchises and brands under the Buss family's ownership, most of their success during that time came when the late Dr. Jerry Buss was their owner from 1979 to 2013. When Dr. Buss passed away in 2013, control was passed down to his children, and the Lakers have gone through many peaks and valleys since, with the valleys becoming more numerous than the peaks. Advertisement A lot of the criticism of how the franchise has been run has centered around the perception that it has operated like a mom-and-pop small business, especially since the Buss family isn't particularly cash-rich. In fact, an ESPN report on Wednesday's sale outlined several concerning ways in which the team has pinched pennies. Many remember how it failed to hire Tyronn Lue to be its head coach in 2019 after Lue wanted a little more money and a longer contract. But the other examples of what ESPN called its "miserly traits" don't reflect well on how it has been run. One instance had to do with one of its assistant coaches. "An assistant coach was not approved to stay at the same hotel as the player he was traveling to work out with in the offseason because the room was too expensive," wrote Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin. Prior to the NBA lockout in 2011, a sizable number of team staffers and employees were laid off, including one longtime member of the front office. "Former assistant GM Ronnie Lester's contract was not renewed during the NBA lockout in 2011, a financial decision and one of many in a rash of layoffs or nonrenewals." Advertisement Plus, in one move that resulted in lots of criticism, the Lakers asked for financial help from the government during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic through a program that was designed to help small businesses, not world-class sports franchises. "The team applied for federal relief through the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 hiatus. After considerable backlash, they later returned the $4.6 million to the government." As NBA teams started to utilize analytics more and more in recent years, the Lakers lagged behind. They were the only team in the league that wasn't represented at the Sloan Analytics Conference in 2013. That did start to change, however, last offseason, when they hired coach JJ Redick and Redick urged them to become more data-driven. Walter has owned a sizable chunk of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012. At the time, the Dodgers were a franchise that enjoyed plenty of success in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s but had fallen on hard times for roughly the previous 20 years. Under his ownership, they have won the National League West in 11 of the last 12 seasons, and they have won the World Series championship in 2020 and 2024. Walter built up the team's analytics department, hired standout front office people such as Andrew Friedman and spared no expense in acquiring former MVPs in their primes, such as Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani. Advertisement Lakers fans, by and large, are now optimistic that similar results could lie ahead for the Purple and Gold. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: ESPN report reveals how 'miserly' Lakers have been under Jeanie Buss
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brian Windhorst warns rest of NBA after sale of Lakers
No one can say with any certainty how much success the Los Angeles Lakers will have in the coming years now that a majority share of the franchise will be sold by the Buss family to Mark Walter. Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, has been the primary owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012, and under his leadership, the Dodgers have consistently enjoyed a high level of success that includes 11 National League West titles and two World Series championships. If nothing else, it is projected that the Lakers will not spare any expenses when going after the best men and women to fill numerous roles within the organization. For years, they have been criticized for being run like a mom-and-pop small business that has consistently pinched pennies. That approach has worked against them, most notably when super sub and fan favorite Alex Caruso left in free agency in 2021 and Tyronn Lue turned down their offer to be their head coach in 2019. Advertisement NBA reporter Brian Windhorst said that this new ownership is good news for the Lakers — and bad news for the rest of the league. "If I were another team, I would not think this is a great development," Windhorst said. "I think the Lakers are only gonna get more dangerous as an organization with the more resources that are theoretically here about to be poured into it." Historically, the Lakers have been a big draw for some of basketball's greatest titans, including Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, and they have always seemingly been able to trade for a Hall of Famer just when it has seemed that they were down and out. But now, presumably at least, money will not be an issue when looking to upgrade the roster or the rest of the organization. How exactly this apparent influx of capital will translate to personnel moves remains to be seen, but one has to reasonably expect a positive development in that regard. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Brian Windhorst warns rest of NBA after sale of Lakers
The Verge
22 minutes ago
- The Verge
Meta announces Oakley smart glasses
Meta is announcing its next pair of smart glasses with Oakley. The limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN (pronounced HOW-stuhn) model costs $499 and is available for pre-order starting July 11th. Other Oakley models with Meta's tech will be available starting at $399 later this summer. Like the existing Meta Ray-Ban glasses, the Oakley model features two front-facing cameras, along with open-ear speakers and microphones that are built into the frame. After they are paired with a phone, the glasses can be used to listen to music or podcasts, conduct phone calls, or chat with Meta AI. By utilizing the onboard cameras and microphones, Meta AI can also answer questions about what someone is seeing and even translate languages. Given the Oakley design, Meta is positioning these new glasses as being geared towards athletes. They have an IPX4 water resistance rating and offer double the battery life of the Meta Ray-Bans, providing 8 hours of use, along with a charging case that can power them for up to 48 hours. The built-in cameras now shoot in 3K video, up from 1080p for the Meta Ray-Bans. The new lineup comes in five Oakley frame and lens combos, all of which are compatible with prescriptions for an extra cost. The frame colors are warm grey, black, brown smoke, and clear, with several lens options available, including transitions. The limited-edition $499 model, available for order starting July 11th, features gold accents and gold Oakley PRIZM lenses. The glasses will be on sale in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Meta recently signed a multi-year deal with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company behind Ray-Ban, Oakley, and other eyewear brands. The Meta Ray-Bans have sold over two million pairs to date, and EssilorLuxottica recently disclosed that it plans to sell 10 million smart glasses with Meta annually by 2026. 'This is our first step into the performance category,' Alex Himel, Meta's head of wearables, tells me. 'There's more to come.'
