Harvard's US-funded defence projects totalled US$180 million in recent years, study shows
Some of the grants paid for military-specific medical research, studies on countering weapons of mass destruction and research on lasers, among numerous other topics, Reuters found.
The abrupt halt stopped years-long projects and upended programmes spread across several universities, not just Harvard. In 2025 alone, an estimated 103 grants totaling about US$14 million will grind to a halt, according to an analysis by Govini, a defence software company.
For example, US officials ended Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Professor Katia Bertoldi's US$6 million Pentagon-funded project developing shape-changing structures with military applications two weeks ago, despite being at a critical juncture in its research cycle.
'We've been in year three, so we set up all the tools, and now we're really gaining momentum, and now it stops,' Bertoldi said.
Funded through the Department of Defence's Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, she was developing technology based on origami that would lead to reconfigurable antennas, and deployable shelters like field hospitals.
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Since 2020 the Pentagon, Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency and every branch of the US military have given Harvard 418 grants valued at US$180 million, according to the analysis by Govini.
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth 'directed the termination of several programmes, contracts and grants that were not aligned with the Department's priorities to cut wasteful spending, implement the President's orders, and reallocate savings to mission-critical priorities', a Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters.
The bulk of those grants went to military medical research, basic scientific research and applied scientific research, Govini found, with the Army providing the most funding.
The administration has frozen around US$3 billion in federal grants to Harvard, with Trump complaining on Truth Social that Harvard has hired 'Democrats, Radical Left idiots and 'bird brains'' as professors. On Monday (May 26), Trump said he is considering redirecting billions of dollars of previously awarded scientific and engineering research grants from Harvard to trade schools.
Harvard has sued to restore the funding, calling the cuts an unconstitutional attack on its free-speech rights.
The research cancellations affect extensive collaborative networks. Bertoldi's project included researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgia Tech.
Scientists warn these cuts may have strategic implications as China has heavily invested in research.
Bertoldi said, 'In China, as far as I know, colleagues that moved back to China, there's a lot of support for this type of research.' REUTERS
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Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump, tech and Texas: What's next for the US?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The weight of a new era is pressing in. The Trump presidency is unfolding against the backdrop of technological disruption, escalating political tensions and shifting demographics. Can the US adapt quickly enough? ST's US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar reports as America counts down to its 250th birthday in 2026. Protesters raise signs at the State Capitol in Austin on Aug 16 during the Fight the Trump Takeover. – Friends in Washington warned me that I was going to Texas at exactly the wrong time and season – that Austin was going to be uncomfortably hot and sticky. Being a transplant from Singapore, that scared me not at all. But they were right. Texas is hot all right. It is smack-dab in the middle of a political fight, instrumental in either keeping US President Donald Trump's hold on power or weakening it midway into his term in the 2026 congressional elections. The Lone Star state's economy also runs hot; it is the fire underneath the bubbling pot of the national economy. Record numbers of businesses flock here every year, contributing to its gross domestic product of more than US$2.6 trillion (S$3.3 trillion), making it a larger economy than Canada, South Korea or Australia. For 13 straight years, Texas has led the nation in job-creating projects. But while the numbers are impressive, they do not tell the whole story. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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More than US$20 billion in new projects is reshaping its skyline, reinventing neighbourhoods, workspaces, shopping areas and parks. On the somewhat unkempt roads, it feels as though the future, too, is hurrying to find a foothold amid the ruins of the past. At a traffic junction, I saw a motorist honk at a Waymo robotaxi when it waited a beat too long after the traffic light turned green. The sight is a little unsettling: There is no one behind the wheel of the medium-sized car. The traffic is heavy. The driverless car moves forward in a smooth motion, with no jerks or starts, almost like a tracking shot in a movie. A head is visible from behind, a lone passenger in the back seat. More than 100 driverless taxis operate in Austin, thanks to a partnership between Google's Waymo and Uber in March 2025. Tesla's robotaxi service launched a pilot programme in June 2025, using Model Y cars. ST PHOTO: BHAGYASHREE GAREKAR It would not be the first time that a frontier spirit is shaping the next chapter of the American story. Redistricting the red wall Texas is Trump country, maybe even more than a Republican one. The state has voted red in every presidential election since 1980. But Mr Trump's 2024 victory was still special as it set the record for the most votes ever – more than six million – received by a presidential candidate in Texas. And now, as he exerts the power of his office to recast the US in his own image, Mr Trump is counting on a Texas 'wall' that will prevent the Democrats from stymieing his agenda. 'We're entitled to five more seats,' Mr Trump declared in early August, calling on Texan Republicans to redraw congressional district boundaries to build on the party's advantage in the US House of Representatives. The Republicans currently hold a slim majority of five seats in the House. A redistricting exercise can potentially add five more by improving the chances of flipping Democrat-held seats. Redistricting is done every decade to keep up with population shifts. Texas last refreshed district boundaries in 2021 and no law prevents a do-over. There is no mystery about the political urgency behind the push. It is designed to ensure that Mr Trump can spend his final two years in office with Congress at his back instead of in his way. The Democrats, who would then need a much larger national vote shift to win the House, are putting up quite a fight. The week after I arrived in Austin, state Democratic legislators fled to other states to deny the Texas government a quorum to hold the session to effect redistricting. Governor Greg Abbott asked them to 'come back and fight like Texans' and threatened to arrest or remove them from office if they did not return to the legislature. They are still away. The seriousness of the effort serves to underscore Mr Trump's sway in the state. But redistricting is by no means a foolproof endeavour. The infamous 'midterm effect' may just be too strong to be stopped by a few lines redrawn on the electoral map. It is almost a law in US politics that the party holding the presidency loses seats in midterm elections. The Democrats, however, are not well placed to take advantage of an anti-incumbency wave. The party is in disarray, leaderless and dispirited by the sweeping changes being pushed through by the White House. Still, the prospect of gains in the midterms may push them to campaign harder, knock on more doors and pump more flesh. It is also possible that the moment of crisis throws up a leader who can seize it. There is some hope, in progressive corners of the party, about a new Democratic star rising in the east. Mr Zohran Mamdani, a young politician with an easy manner and the ability to 'connect' with people, is the runaway favourite to win the New York City mayoral election set for Nov 4 and become its first Muslim mayor. The 33-year-old is being celebrated with the same fervour I saw in 2008 for the young Barack Obama in his presidential campaign. But Mr Mamdani will have to prove himself as mayor, and it would be unusual if a New York liberal emerged as the voice of Middle America. If nothing changes before 2026, the outcome of the midterms could come down to redistricting. Indeed, the Texas effort has set off a national scramble. California and at least six other states have said they will also look at redrawing congressional maps in a fight for the 'future of the republic'. In sum, Texas is at the heart of what is becoming a soul-searching on the national scale: How much is power worth, and what will you do to keep it? Mr Trump's answer seems to be: everything, and anything. For him, all roads to 2026 run through Texas. Testing ground It is easy to spot the poster child of the Texan economy from afar. The distinctive long, flat roof of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk's Gigafactory, its solar panels glinting in the sun, is unmissable from the window of a plane landing at Austin airport. It is what many Austinites point at, with pride, as a symbol of the state's tech cred and future-oriented economy. The factory reportedly employs around 20,000 – with the average annual wage standing at US$74,000 – and boosts local skill sets, start-ups and suppliers. Seen as a prime example of government and private industry partnership, it is a calling card for the successful Texas mix of the low-tax, low-regulation climate. Above all, it is proof that the US still makes things – that it still has a future in manufacturing. 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Except perhaps in Austin, the famously liberal capital of a conservative state that proudly embraces its 'weirdness' and wants to remain the last holdout against the advancing tide of sameness. Texans cherish their distinct identity – think cowboy hats, boots and guitars, Tex-Mex spices and, yes, guns. They also sport a chip on their shoulder: When they joined the union in 1845, they were already the Republic of Texas. They feel more than equal, it is often said, unwilling to be overshadowed. For now, Mr Trump sees the state as the lock on the door to keep his agenda safe. For the rest of the country, it's a reminder that scale, pragmatism and the will to act are still the forces shaping the US story. And like with every good Texas story, there is a sense that the real ending has not been written yet.
Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine weighs Trump's offer of security guarantees with caution
KYIV, Ukraine – Amid the setbacks for Ukraine from President Donald Trump's meeting in Alaska with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, officials in Kyiv found one glimmer of hope. They seized on a US proposal to include security guarantees for Ukraine , designed to deter future Russian aggression, in a potential peace deal. Mr Trump conveyed the proposal to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in a call early Aug 16 after the meeting. It would enlist Kyiv's Western partners to guarantee Ukraine's defence against new Russian attacks. Crucially, Mr Trump indicated that the United States was ready to participate in such guarantees – a shift from his earlier position that Ukraine's postwar security should be left solely to Europe. 'This is a significant change,' Mr Zelensky said on Aug 17 during a news conference in Brussels. 'It's important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.' European leaders met virtually on Aug 17 afternoon to discuss the aftermath of the Alaska summit, including potential security guarantees. In a show of support for Ukraine, six European leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, announced that they would join Mr Zelensky when he meets with Mr Trump on Aug 18 in Washington. While the specifics of the US proposal remain unclear, Mr Trump said Mr Putin agreed that Ukraine should have strong security guarantees after a settlement, though not under Nato, two senior European officials who were briefed on the call have said. US troops might participate, Mr Trump told the Europeans. Should Mr Trump's proposal come to fruition, it would mark a win for Ukraine, which has long sought postwar security guarantees to prevent a future Russian invasion, but has so far received little beyond vague commitments. But Mr Zelensky warned on Aug 17 that 'there are no details how it will work, and what America's role will be, what Europe's role will be,' stressing that the proposal still needed to be worked out. 'We need security to work in practice,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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He will also seek answers on Mr Trump's unexpected shift away from pursuing a ceasefire to instead call for a peace deal that would be likely to see Ukraine cede unconquered territory to Russia. Several Ukrainian lawmakers cautioned that they remained confused about what exactly Mr Trump had in mind and what Mr Putin may have agreed to in Alaska. The officials expressed worries that Mr Trump may have misread what Moscow would be willing to accept and overstated his own proposal to Ukraine. White House officials did not immediately reply to a question about those concerns. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy said that in Mr Trump's call with Mr Zelensky and European leaders, Mr Trump had drawn on her earlier idea of guarantees modeled on Article 5 of the Nato pact that stipulates that an attack on one ally would be defended as an attack on all. While Ukraine would not join Nato under such guarantees, its Western allies would abide by 'a collective security clause that would allow Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the United States, ready to take action if it is attacked again,' Ms Meloni said in a statement after the call. Dr Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, said during the Brussels news conference on Aug 17 that Mr Trump had shown a 'willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine.' The idea, while appealing to the Ukrainians, has left them questioning its viability. Given Russia's strong opposition to Nato membership for Ukraine, through which it would receive the defence guarantees enshrined in Article 5, why would Russia agree to see Ukraine benefit from guarantees that are the same in all but name? And if Russia agreed to strong security guarantees outside of Nato, as suggested by Mr Trump, would that imply it considers those guarantees ineffective without the alliance's backing and therefore not a real deterrent? Dr Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the foreign affairs committee in the Ukrainian Parliament, said Ms Meloni's idea was 'too vague' and left room for multiple interpretations that did not necessarily guarantee that Ukraine's allies would immediately come to its defense if Russia were to ever invade again. Ms Solomiia Bobrovska, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament's defence and intelligence committee, said Ms Meloni's idea could be interpreted only as a commitment to provide more financial aid to Ukraine or to send additional ammunition. Ukraine does not want to sign another Budapest Memorandum, a pledge signed in 1994 that was meant to protect the country after it gained independence – but clearly failed. Under that accord, Ukraine agreed to give Russia back old Soviet nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the United States and Britain. But the agreement did not detail those guarantees, and included no promise of military assistance in the event of an attack. Ukrainian officials say the lack of specificity gave Russia free rein to attack their country, as it did starting in 2014. 'In order to avoid the fate of the Budapest Memorandum, these guarantees must be legally binding and also provide for specific steps and an algorithm of actions by the guarantors in the event of repeated aggression against Ukraine,' Mr Yehor Chernev, the deputy chair of the Ukrainian Parliament's defense and intelligence committee, said in a text message. One concrete guarantee that Ukraine has been seeking is the presence of Western troops on the ground – an idea that Mr Trump appeared to entertain, despite previously opposing. Ukraine's European allies have already made headway in that direction. In the spring, a group of countries including France, Britain and Germany formed a 'coalition of the willing' to help safeguard an eventual peace. Some of the countries have said that to do so, they would be willing to send troops to Ukrainian soil after the conflict ends. But the contours of that force have not been ironed out, and details of who is willing to do what remain scarce. The coalition met in the afternoon of Aug 17 to coordinate ahead of the White House summit. After the meeting, President Emmanuel Macron of France, one of the participants, said several European countries were ready to send troops to Ukraine in a postwar settlement, though not in areas near the frozen front line. Mr Macron added that European leaders would ask Mr Trump how far he would back security guarantees for Ukraine. 'That's what we need to discuss with the Americans: Who is willing to do what?' he said. 'If we are weak today with Russia,' he added, 'we are preparing the conflicts of tomorrow.' NYTIMES
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
NATO-like protection in focus for Trump meeting with Ukraine, Europe
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he attends a press conference held by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo U.S. President Donald Trump could offer NATO-like protection of Ukraine, and Russia is open to the idea, one of his top foreign policy officials said on Sunday ahead of a meeting with Ukraine and European leaders to hammer out details of possible security guarantees for Kyiv. "We were able to win the following concession, that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection," Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to Russia, told CNN's "State of the Union" program. "The United States could offer Article 5 protection, which was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that." Witkoff was referring to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which regards any attack against one of its 32 members as an attack on all. He suggested that a security guarantee of that scale could be offered to Ukraine in lieu of NATO membership, which Putin has ruled out. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months in the deadliest war in Europe for 80 years, Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who were both in the room when Trump met Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, gave a series of TV interviews ahead of a Monday meeting in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and leaders of some European allies. 'We made some progress, we believe, and now we have to follow up on that progress," Rubio told CNN's "State of the Union" about the meeting with Putin. "Ultimately, where this should lead is to a meeting between the three leaders, between Zelenskiy, Putin and President Trump, where we can finalize, but we got to get this thing closer before we get to that point." Russian officials are opposed to Western troops in Ukraine, but have not ruled out a security guarantee for Kyiv. Speaking during a joint media appearance with Trump after their nearly three-hour long meeting, Putin said on Friday: "I agree with President Trump. He said today that Ukraine's security must be ensured by all means. Of course, we are ready to work on this." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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"The Russians agreed on enshrining legislatively language that would prevent them from - or that they would attest to not attempting to take any more land from Ukraine after a peace deal, where they would attest to not violating any European borders," he said. PEACE DEAL VS SURRENDER Any security guarantees offered to Zelenskiy could also include a commitment from the United States, Rubio told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures", an option that many of Trump's MAGA supporters have rejected up to now. "It would be a very big move by the president, if he were to offer a U.S. commitment to a security guarantee," Rubio said. "It tells you how badly he wants peace, how much he values peace, that he would be willing to make a concession like that ...That's what we'll talk about tomorrow." In a social media post, Trump wrote, "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!" But he gave no details. Rubio said U.S. officials discussed security details for Ukraine with the national security advisers of multiple European countries on Saturday, adding that the aim would be to build in details that could ultimately be presented to Russia as part of a peace agreement. He told Fox News that the talks between Trump and Putin on Friday had narrowed the number of key issues, which include drawing borders and military alliances for Ukraine as well as security guarantees. "There's a lot of work that remains," Rubio added. According to sources, Trump and Putin discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. Rubio said Russia and Ukraine would not be able to get everything they want. 'If one side gets everything they want, that's not a peace deal. It's called surrender, and I don't think this is a war that's going to end anytime soon on the basis of surrender,' Rubio told CNN. In a separate interview on ABC, Rubio said if a deal could not be reached to end the war, existing U.S. sanctions on Russia would continue, and more could be added. When Zelenskiy visited the White House in February, the meeting ended in a shouting match. Rubio, speaking to CBS, dismissed the idea that the European leaders were coming to Washington to protect Zelenskiy. "They're not coming here tomorrow to keep Zelenskiy from being bullied. They're coming here tomorrow because we've been working with the Europeans," he said. "We invited them to come." REUTERS
