Live coverage by Cate Latimer, Avani Ghosh, Elise Haulund, Roma Shah, and Lydell Dyer
Live coverage for this event has ended.
What’s in the agreement:
Reimbursement of over $50 million worth of unpaid federal grants, restoring funding for medical and health sciences research
Reinstating Brown’s ability to compete for research grants
Termination of current ongoing reviews and investigations of Brown’s compliance with antidiscrimination laws, with no violations found
Providing compliance reports and data to the government on admissions and diversity and inclusion efforts
Payment of $50 million in grants over the course of 10 years to workforce development organizations in Rhode Island
Acknowledging compliance with Title IX, including by using only “male” and “female” classifications for sports and on-campus housing
Agreeing to not provide gender-affirming care to minors
Codifying Brown’s commitment to combating antisemitic behavior on campus through programs aimed at supporting the University’s Jewish community, and launching a campus climate survey
Confirming the federal government’s lack of authority in controlling teaching, learning and academic speech
Summary by Roma Shah
What’s in the agreement:
Brown has reached an agreement with the federal government to restore the University’s federal research funding, according to a Wednesday University-wide email from President Christina Paxon P’19 P’MD’20. The voluntary agreement includes the following provisions:
Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Grace Calhoun '92 wrote in an email to The Herald that the agreement with the Trump administration does not change Brown Athletics’ current practices on student-athlete participation.
“In regard to participation of Brown student-athletes in NCAA athletics, Brown has agreed to abide by Title IX and NCAA eligibility rules regarding the participation of transgender athletes in intercollegiate sports,” she wrote. “We have done so for decades, and this agreement does not change that.”
The NCAA guidelines, which were updated in February, stipulate that while student-athletes of any gender are permitted to compete in men’s sports, only student-athletes assigned female at birth are permitted to compete on intercollegiate women’s teams. Student-athletes assigned female at birth who started hormone therapy are not eligible to compete on a women’s team.
In a press release announcing the new guidelines, NCAA President Charlie Baker said “this national standard brings much needed clarity as we modernize college sports for today’s student-athletes.”
The agreement also outlined that Brown must maintain “merit-based admissions policies” and cannot practice affirmative action in admissions.
“The agreement aligns with ongoing process reviews at Brown to ensure we comply with the U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting consideration of race in admission decisions,” Calhoun explained. “Our commitment to welcoming student-athletes from a wide range of backgrounds and identities remains unchanged, and we will continue to comply with the law as we work with Brown’s admissions team in fulfilling that commitment.”
“In regard to participation of Brown student-athletes in NCAA athletics, Brown has agreed to abide by Title IX and NCAA eligibility rules regarding the participation of transgender athletes in intercollegiate sports,” she wrote. “We have done so for decades, and this agreement does not change that.”
The NCAA guidelines, which were updated in February, stipulate that while student-athletes of any gender are permitted to compete in men’s sports, only student-athletes assigned female at birth are permitted to compete on intercollegiate women’s teams. Student-athletes assigned female at birth who started hormone therapy are not eligible to compete on a women’s team.
In a press release announcing the new guidelines, NCAA President Charlie Baker said “this national standard brings much needed clarity as we modernize college sports for today’s student-athletes.”
The agreement also outlined that Brown must maintain “merit-based admissions policies” and cannot practice affirmative action in admissions.
“The agreement aligns with ongoing process reviews at Brown to ensure we comply with the U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting consideration of race in admission decisions,” Calhoun explained. “Our commitment to welcoming student-athletes from a wide range of backgrounds and identities remains unchanged, and we will continue to comply with the law as we work with Brown’s admissions team in fulfilling that commitment.”
“Given the uncertain, sometimes treacherous terrain on which American universities are presently operating, Brown seems to have dealt with the Trump administration’s demands very well,” Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Education Luther Spoehr wrote in an email to The Herald.
“I think it’s almost certainly the best Brown could do under the circumstances,” he added.
The University “won’t be paying substantial monetary penalties and seems to have defended academic freedom in curriculum and instruction as well,” Spoehr noted, though he believes the resolutions regarding gender definitions and gender-affirming care “will almost surely stir some controversy.”
“I think it’s almost certainly the best Brown could do under the circumstances,” he added.
The University “won’t be paying substantial monetary penalties and seems to have defended academic freedom in curriculum and instruction as well,” Spoehr noted, though he believes the resolutions regarding gender definitions and gender-affirming care “will almost surely stir some controversy.”
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In a Thursday Instagram post by the Warren Alpert Medical School, Mukesh Jain, dean of medicine and biological sciences and senior vice president for health affairs, said that he is “hopeful that this agreement will quickly enable the wide-scale return of federal support for the incredible biomedical research that so many of you lead and support.”
Rabbi Josh Bolton, the executive director of Brown-RISD Hillel, wrote that “this agreement affirms what we already know so deeply, that Brown — especially under President Paxson's leadership — is truly one of the great campuses for Jewish life anywhere in the U.S.” in a statement shared to community members Thursday afternoon.
Shared with The Herald, the statement pointed to several University initiatives intended to support Jewish students, including the opening of kosher kitchens in the Sharpe Refectory, the extension of the Providence Eruv to include Brown and the continued collaboration between University administrators and Hillel to strengthen Jewish student safety.
“The settlement also makes clear that the work is not nearly done. We all have a stake in building a campus community where students of every background and perspective can feel at home,” Bolton wrote. “We will continue with joy and determination to ensure this for Jewish students, as we will on behalf of all students.”
Shared with The Herald, the statement pointed to several University initiatives intended to support Jewish students, including the opening of kosher kitchens in the Sharpe Refectory, the extension of the Providence Eruv to include Brown and the continued collaboration between University administrators and Hillel to strengthen Jewish student safety.
“The settlement also makes clear that the work is not nearly done. We all have a stake in building a campus community where students of every background and perspective can feel at home,” Bolton wrote. “We will continue with joy and determination to ensure this for Jewish students, as we will on behalf of all students.”
At a Thursday press conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt touted the agreement reached between Brown and the White House.
Leavitt called it “yet another win to root out antisemitic behavior on our nation’s college campuses and unlawful discrimination,” and lauded Brown’s commitment to “take steps to improve the campus climate for Jewish students” in the agreement.
The deal requires Brown to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to prohibit consideration of race in university admissions. Leavitt said that Brown has “agreed to provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with its commitment to merit-based admissions.”
“Brown will no longer perform gender reassignment surgeries on minors or prescribe them puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones,” Leavitt added, calling it “chemical castration of children.” This agreement does not apply to local healthcare systems, such as Brown University Health and Care New England.
“This is yet another huge win for American students and for those who love our country and want to abide by our country’s laws,” she said.
Leavitt called it “yet another win to root out antisemitic behavior on our nation’s college campuses and unlawful discrimination,” and lauded Brown’s commitment to “take steps to improve the campus climate for Jewish students” in the agreement.
The deal requires Brown to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to prohibit consideration of race in university admissions. Leavitt said that Brown has “agreed to provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with its commitment to merit-based admissions.”
“Brown will no longer perform gender reassignment surgeries on minors or prescribe them puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones,” Leavitt added, calling it “chemical castration of children.” This agreement does not apply to local healthcare systems, such as Brown University Health and Care New England.
“This is yet another huge win for American students and for those who love our country and want to abide by our country’s laws,” she said.
“The Student Organizing Committee on Antisemitism welcomes the resolution agreement between Brown and the federal government yesterday,” wrote SOCA representatives Malcolm Furman ’27 and Daniel Solomon ’26, in a statement to The Herald. “This agreement underscores our community’s commitment to academic freedom, a core tenet of democracy and therefore essential to Jewish prosperity.”
“We welcome the U.S. government’s recognition of what we have long maintained: Brown is deeply dedicated to countering antisemitism both in word and in deed,” they added. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with Brown’s administration to counter antisemitism this academic year.”
“We welcome the U.S. government’s recognition of what we have long maintained: Brown is deeply dedicated to countering antisemitism both in word and in deed,” they added. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with Brown’s administration to counter antisemitism this academic year.”
In a statement to The Herald, William Grobman, chief scientific officer of Care New England, said the research partnership between the University and the health system “remains strong.”
“While the freeze temporarily slowed the launch or progress of certain initiatives, both institutions continued to collaborate throughout that period to advance critical research initiatives,” added Grobman, who is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and associate dean of clinical research at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
“We’re pleased that the agreement allows us to fully resume this important work,” he said. Care New England operates Butler Hospital and Women and Infants Hospital, both research and teaching affiliates of Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
The University’s agreement with the federal government stipulates that Student Health Services must refer minor patients seeking gender-affirming care to area specialists. Grobman noted that Care New England will continue to provide “appropriate, compassionate care for all patients, in alignment with legal requirements and clinical best practices.”
“While the freeze temporarily slowed the launch or progress of certain initiatives, both institutions continued to collaborate throughout that period to advance critical research initiatives,” added Grobman, who is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and associate dean of clinical research at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
“We’re pleased that the agreement allows us to fully resume this important work,” he said. Care New England operates Butler Hospital and Women and Infants Hospital, both research and teaching affiliates of Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
The University’s agreement with the federal government stipulates that Student Health Services must refer minor patients seeking gender-affirming care to area specialists. Grobman noted that Care New England will continue to provide “appropriate, compassionate care for all patients, in alignment with legal requirements and clinical best practices.”
“Woke is officially DEAD at Brown,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning, congratulating Brown on the settlement. “There will be no more Anti-Semitism, or Anti-Christian, or Anti-Anything Else” at Brown, he said, seeming to refer to the commitments the University made to abide by existing civil rights laws to shut down investigations into alleged antisemitism and discrimination on campus.
The agreement states that “all terminated grants” to Brown from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including grants from the National Institutes of Health, are “hereby restored.” The agreement also states that “no grant funding will be withheld and no grants will be terminated in the future.”
According to Paxson’s email, unreimbursed funds from the NIH have culminated to over $50 million since early April and were increasing by $3.5 million each week. Paxson added that NIH funding accounts for over 70% of Brown’s research funding, and that the government will reimburse the University for “existing active grants” in the next 30 days.
This development follows a months-long saga of research funding tribulations, during which dozens of Brown researchers received grant terminations. The NIH also froze all federal funding to Brown with no rationale, according to an internal NIH email. Many of the terminated grants studied issues relating to gender, sexuality, race and equity, whose researchers received emails informing them that their research “no longer effectuates agency priorities.”
According to Paxson’s email, unreimbursed funds from the NIH have culminated to over $50 million since early April and were increasing by $3.5 million each week. Paxson added that NIH funding accounts for over 70% of Brown’s research funding, and that the government will reimburse the University for “existing active grants” in the next 30 days.
This development follows a months-long saga of research funding tribulations, during which dozens of Brown researchers received grant terminations. The NIH also froze all federal funding to Brown with no rationale, according to an internal NIH email. Many of the terminated grants studied issues relating to gender, sexuality, race and equity, whose researchers received emails informing them that their research “no longer effectuates agency priorities.”
“Our red lines have always been no argument that weakens academic freedom, free speech, or student safety,” wrote alumni organization Stand Strong Brown in a statement shared with The Herald by Daniel Souweine ’01, the group’s founder. Stand Strong Brown is an organization of over 1,500 alumni, parents and faculty “committed to protecting academic freedom, free speech and student safety at Brown,” Souweine wrote.
“We will be examining the deal for those concerns, and watching closely how Brown implements this agreement,” the group’s statement reads. “The devil is always in the details, and the Trump administration cannot be trusted, so we remain extremely concerned about ensuring that Brown remains a place of truly open inquiry and dialogue that fully supports all of the members of its community.”
“We will be examining the deal for those concerns, and watching closely how Brown implements this agreement,” the group’s statement reads. “The devil is always in the details, and the Trump administration cannot be trusted, so we remain extremely concerned about ensuring that Brown remains a place of truly open inquiry and dialogue that fully supports all of the members of its community.”
“The Trump administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation’s higher education institutions,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in a statement regarding the agreement.
“Because of the Trump administration’s resolution agreement with Brown University, aspiring students will be judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex,” she added.
“Because of the Trump administration’s resolution agreement with Brown University, aspiring students will be judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex,” she added.
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Brown reaches deal with federal government to restore federal research funding
By Cate Latimer and Avani Ghosh
June 30, 4:54 p.m.
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Brown has reached a deal with the federal government to restore some federal research funding and address allegations about antisemitism on campus, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 announced in a University-wide email Wednesday.
The deal comes after the Trump administration shared plans in April to freeze $510 million in federal funding to the University. Brown is the third Ivy League university to reach a deal with the federal government this month.
Herald Staff
Staff from The Brown Daily Herald
