Brown, along with 35 other colleges and universities, joined an amicus brief on July 22 emphasizing the importance of federal funding in conducting Harvard’s academic research. The brief comes in response to a district judge’s decision that Harvard’s funding should be maintained, urging the appeals court to uphold that ruling.
In April 2025, Harvard sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over a freeze of billions of dollars in federal grants to the university. Two months later, Brown and 17 other colleges and universities signed onto a separate amicus brief supporting Harvard’s suit against the Trump administration’s cuts to research funding.
That September, a Massachusetts district court judge found the Trump administration’s federal funding freezes to be unlawful and ordered that Harvard’s funding be reinstated, arguing that the federal government was “trying to pressure Harvard to accede to the government’s demands in a way that squarely violates” Harvard’s First Amendment rights, according to the ruling.
The Trump administration appealed the district court’s decision in December.
The amicus brief filed on July 22 emphasizes the importance of the longstanding partnership that research institutions have had with the federal government, “and the risk that arbitrary funding terminations pose to that partnership,” the brief reads.
“In sum, terminating funding to universities and colleges jeopardizes American innovation and economic growth by severely limiting their ability to play their vital, longstanding roles in expanding scientific knowledge,” the brief continued.
All of the other Ivy League schools signed on to the brief, supporting the restoration of Harvard’s federal funding.
Harvard’s fight over funding is one of several the Trump administration has waged against Ivy League schools, including Brown.
Last spring, the White House announced plans to freeze $510 million of Brown’s federal funding. In the weeks that followed, millions of dollars in grants were terminated, project staff were let go and student visas were revoked. The University was also placed under numerous investigations, including an investigation by the HHS regarding Brown’s compliance with Title VI.
In July 2025, the University reached a voluntary agreement with the Trump administration to restore Brown’s federal funding and resolve ongoing investigations. As part of the deal, Brown is required to distribute $50 million over 10 years in state workforce development grants.
Harvard has not reached a deal with the Trump administration. In February, Trump continued to increase pressure on the university: “We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
Roma Shah is a section editor covering University Hall & Higher Education and Admissions & Financial Aid. She's a sophomore from Morgan Hill, CA studying neuroscience. In her free time, she can be found doing puzzles, hiking or curled up with a book.
