The Trump administration has suspended dozens of research grants at Princeton University, making it the latest Ivy League institution to face federal funding cuts in a sweeping campaign targeting top universities.
Princeton was notified this week that multiple federal agencies including the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Defense Department are freezing several research grants, according to a campus message from university president Christopher Eisgruber.
While the exact reasoning remains unclear, Princeton, like many other universities, is under federal investigation for antisemitism following last year’s wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
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“We are committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism,” Eisgruber wrote. “Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this University.”
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President Donald Trump has placed intense scrutiny on Ivy League schools as part of a broader push to reshape higher education policies.
Columbia University was the first to be targeted, losing $400 million in federal funding with warnings of additional cuts unless it implemented measures to protect Jewish students. The school ultimately agreed to revise student disciplinary policies and review its Middle East studies department.
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The University of Pennsylvania later saw $175 million in federal funding suspended due to controversy over a transgender swimmer. More recently, a federal antisemitism task force has launched a review of nearly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts at Harvard University.
The funding clampdown has put universities in a difficult position, as federal research money is a key financial lifeline for many institutions.
Eisgruber has been outspoken against the administration’s approach, calling the pressure on Columbia “the greatest threat to American universities in decades.”
“The attack on Columbia is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to America’s leadership in research,” he wrote in a March 19 essay in The Atlantic. “Universities and their leaders should speak up and litigate forcefully to protect their rights.”
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Federal agencies involved in the Princeton funding suspensions have not yet commented on the action.
In March, Princeton was among 60 universities that received a warning from the Education Department over allegations of antisemitism, according to an AP report. The letter warned that schools failing to address anti-Jewish bias could face enforcement actions. All Ivy League institutions except Penn and Dartmouth were included.
The Education Department initially launched its Princeton investigation in April 2024 under the Biden administration, following a complaint filed by the editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, a conservative news outlet. The complaint cited a pro-Palestinian protest that reportedly included chants of “Intifada” and other statements described as antisemitic.
The Trump administration has vowed a more aggressive stance on campus antisemitism, accusing former President Joe Biden of leniency toward universities. In response, the administration has opened new investigations, detained and deported foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, and accused demonstrators of being “pro-Hamas.” Student activists, however, say they are protesting Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The crackdown aligns with efforts by congressional Republicans, who have pressed university leaders for answers about campus protests. High-profile hearings on Capitol Hill have already contributed to the resignations of presidents at Harvard, Columbia, and Penn.
Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, stepped down last week after the school conceded to government demands.
