On May 15, 2025, more than 130 researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health were notified that federal funding for their work was being cancelled. The cuts followed Harvard's refusal to comply with a list of demands from the Trump administration.
The Chan School relies heavily on government funding, with approximately 59% of its operating revenue coming from the federal government, and had been slated to receive more than $200 million in federal grants for the current fiscal year. Faculty members expressed deep concern about their research, staff jobs, and the impact on public health initiatives, particularly those aimed at achieving health equity for marginalized communities. The Trump administration claimed that the Chan School’s commitment to health equity was a reason for stopping their funding, citing “amorphous equity objectives” that were “antithetical to scientific inquiry.” At least one student researcher was told by federal health officials that such research “[does] nothing to expand our knowledge of living systems, provide[s] low returns on investment, and ultimately [does] not enhance health, lengthen life or reduce illness.”