Trump Administration Has Suspended Dozens Of Princeton Research Grants
It stems from its Investigation into Campus anti-Semitism
By Aaron Gifford | The Epoch Times
The Trump administration has suspended several dozen federally funded research grants to Princeton University as part of its investigation into campus anti-Semitism, according to a Princeton University email published by the Daily Princetonian student newspaper.
The email, dated April 1 and sent to the campus community by university President Christopher Eisgruber, said the university received the notification from the funding agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Defense, and NASA.
Princeton University campus/ Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo
Eisgruber’s email did not disclose the amount of money in question.
“The full rationale for this action is not yet clear, but I want to be clear about the principles that will guide our response,” Eisgruber’s email said.
“Princeton University will comply with the law. We are committed to fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating anti-Semitism.
“Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this university.”
Eisgruber’s email said more information would be released following conversations with affected faculty, researchers, and grant managers.
Princeton is among the 60 elite higher education institutions currently under federal investigation for the harassment of Jewish students following Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Eisgruber and his colleagues from fellow Ivy League institutions—Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and Yale—were among those who received March 10 letters from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
The letter reminded university presidents of existing Civil Rights laws. It noted President Donald Trump’s executive order that states colleges and universities risk the loss of federal funding if they fail to combat campus anti-Semitism.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a March 10 statement from the Education Department announcing the letters sent to universities. “U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
The Trump administration announced on March 31 that it is examining $8.7 billion in contracts with Harvard.
In an email response to The Epoch Times, Harvard University officials said the school has taken steps in the past 15 months to address anti-Semitism on campus, but the Trump administration still believes the school has a long way to go.
“We will engage with members of the federal government’s task force to combat anti-Semitism to ensure that they have a full account of the work we have done and the actions we will take going forward to combat anti-Semitism,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a letter sent to students and employees.
“We resolve to take the measures that will move Harvard and its vital mission forward while protecting our community and its academic freedom.
“By doing so, we combat bias and intolerance as we create the conditions that foster the excellence in teaching and research that is at the core of our mission.”
Columbia University was the first school to lose federal funding, $400 million, due to campus anti-Semitism.
The university’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, complied with nine conditions outlined by Education Secretary Linda McMahon and other federal agencies before resigning on March 28.
Eisgruber is also the board chairman of the American Association of Universities, which publicly criticized the Trump administration’s education cuts and, in February, filed a federal lawsuit opposing reductions to National Institute of Health research grants to universities.
“This action is ill-conceived and self-defeating for both America’s patients and their families as well as the nation as a whole,” the association’s Feb. 10 statement said.
“We look forward to presenting our case in court.”
Eisgruber’s March 19 editorial in The Atlantic magazine criticizing the Trump administration’s actions against Columbia University is posted on Princeton’s website.
“The Trump administration’s recent attack on Columbia University puts all of that at risk, presenting the greatest threat to American universities since the Red Scare of the 1950s. Every American should be concerned,” he wrote.
The Epoch Times contacted Princeton University and the Department of Education, which referred to the departments of Defense and Energy.
The Department of Defense declined to comment.
__________
SOURCE
Header featured image (edited) credit: Ben ShapiroFB page. Emphasis added by (TLB)
••••
••••
Stay tuned tuned…
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Source: TLB
