CUNY warns $17M in research grants at risk after Trump stop-work orders
The City University of New York could lose up to $17 million in federal research funding after the Trump administration issued dozens of stop-work orders, school officials said Thursday.
The federal agencies' directives touched 78 grants — from environmental research to studies about the impacts of diseases on minority groups — and 98 employees across CUNY's campuses.
'This is not just numbers and figures, which are important,' Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez warned during a City Council hearing on CUNY's budget. 'This is careers. These are mentorships. These are our potential next generation of scientists or artists that are being cut short by not being able to be part of this grant. So absolutely a disaster disinvestment in research.'
In their notification letters, federal agencies cited President Trump's executive orders or changes in priorities as reasons for the stoppages, according to CUNY's testimony.
The presidential administration has previously pulled back from climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion research. But overall, school officials suggested it has been hard to predict which federal grants would be terminated.
'It varies all over, and no real rhyme or reason to which ones were canceled,' said Alicia Avero, interim executive vice chancellor and university provost.
CUNY's response has involved providing researchers with bridge grants to finish their projects, school administrators said. The public university system has also launched a task force to help challenge stop-work orders and teamed up with New York State Attorney General Letitia James to sue the Trump administration.
'We are trying to be aggressive in defending when we believe that the ground for the stoppage is inappropriate,' the chancellor said.
Those efforts may be bearing fruit. To date, federal agencies have rescinded seven of the 78 stop-work orders at CUNY, according to a system-wide tally compiled by administrators.
CUNY spokespeople did not immediately clarify if the rescinded directives reduced the federal funding at risk. They also did not comment on the 98 impacted employees, including if any were at risk of losing their jobs.
'The federal government is trying to unemploy CUNY workers and make our students dumber,' said Councilman Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx), chair of the higher education committee.
'It appears the federal government also wants us to be less healthy — that's my opinion.'
In the meantime, CUNY is facing other headwinds from the federal government.
A provision in the budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress would raise the full-time credit load to qualify for Pell Grants — potentially shutting CUNY students out of a major source of financial aid, school officials said. The proposed change requires students take 15 credits, instead of 12, to be eligible for the federal support.
In recent years, CUNY has received $888 million in federal Title IV funding — which includes grants, loans and work-study programs — and 57% of CUNY students receive federal financial aid, according to university data.
'That's a big, big chunk, obviously, of our students that we serve, that come to CUNY for an education,' said Sherif Soliman, senior vice chancellor for budget & finance and chief financial officer.
As a result of Trump administration changes, 25 CUNY international students had their visas revoked, then restored, the Daily News previously reported. But school officials shared that three students had already left the U.S. and planned to finish their degrees online.
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