Brown University secures agreement with the Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal funding.
Brown University has reached an agreement with the Trump administration, restoring its federal funding for medical and health sciences research after a funding freeze began in April 2025. The deal includes reinstating payments for active research grants, restoring the university’s eligibility to compete for future federal grants and contracts, and reimbursing Brown for more than $50 million in unpaid federal grant costs.
Key provisions of the agreement include:
- Academic freedom: The government affirmed it lacks authority to dictate Brown’s teaching, learning, or academic speech, preserving academic independence.
- Anti-discrimination commitment: Brown will not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in admissions or programming, providing data access for compliance review. This also entails removing race considerations from admissions.
- Title IX compliance: Brown will adopt the Trump administration’s definitions of “male” and “female” for athletics, programs, facilities, and campus housing, consistent with NCAA and Brown’s policies. The university will not perform gender reassignment surgeries on minors nor prescribe puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones.
- Settlement payment: Brown will pay $50 million over 10 years to Rhode Island workforce development organizations aligned with its service mission; Brown retains full discretion over choosing these organizations.
- Investigations closure: Current federal investigations and reviews regarding Brown’s compliance with antidiscrimination laws will be permanently closed with no finding of wrongdoing.
- Jewish community support: The agreement codifies Brown’s commitments to initiatives ensuring a thriving Jewish community and calls for a third-party campus climate survey to combat antisemitism.
The term includes a three-year monitoring period to ensure compliance with the agreement and federal laws. It marks part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to enforce merit-based admissions, fight discrimination claims against diversity and inclusion efforts, and regulate university policies on gender and speech.
Brown’s president Christina H. Paxson emphasized the deal preserved academic freedom and core university values while restoring critical funding, noting the significant financial challenges from the funding freeze and existing budget deficits. The university avoided paying a direct settlement to the federal government, unlike other institutions, instead agreeing to the $50 million workforce development fund.
Brown University was one of 60 colleges and universities warned by the Department of Education's civil rights arm for alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus. As part of the deal, Brown University will commit to proactive measures to protect Jewish students and combat Antisemitism on campus.
Meanwhile, Harvard University is in talks to settle with the Trump administration for as much as $500 million. The Trump administration froze about $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University and clawed back $2.6 billion from Harvard University over antisemitism concerns.
The agreement ensures students are judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex, according to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. The goal is to make higher education institutions places dedicated to truth-seeking, academic merit, and civil debate, free from discrimination and harassment.
[1] The New York Times, "Brown University Agrees to Deal With Trump Administration to Restore Funding", link [2] The Wall Street Journal, "Brown University Reaches Deal with Trump Administration", link [3] Inside Higher Ed, "Brown University's Deal with the Trump Administration", link [4] The Providence Journal, "Brown University's Agreement with the Trump Administration", link [5] The Washington Post, "Trump Administration's Crackdown on Colleges Continues", link
- Despite the restoration of federal funding for medical and health sciences research, the agreement between Brown University and the Trump administration also encompasses provisions regarding education-and-self-development, such as the affirmation of academic freedom and the commitment to combat antisemitism in education.
- In addition to reshaping policies in sports, as Brown University will adopt the Trump administration's definitions of gender for athletics, the deal also involves political implications, like the Trump administration's aim to enforce merit-based admissions and regulate university policies on gender and speech.
