Columbia University Announces Layoffs of Nearly 180 Researchers Amid Federal Funding Cuts

Columbia University removed US News World Report

Columbia University has announced it will be letting go of about 180 researchers following the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants by the Trump administration. The funding cuts, implemented in March 2025, were attributed to the university’s alleged failure to address antisemitic harassment on campus.

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In a statement released on May 6, Acting President Claire Shipman detailed the impact of the funding loss, noting that the affected positions represent about 20% of individuals supported by the terminated grants. “Much of that funding went to healthcare and scientific research,” Reuters reports, though the outlet was unable to ” verify the figures.”

Despite Columbia’s efforts to comply with the Trump administration’s demands—implementing new disciplinary procedures, hiring more security guards with arresting powers, increasing oversight of Middle Eastern studies programs and more—the funding has not been restored. The university continues to engage in discussions with federal agencies to restore the grants.

To mitigate the financial strain and support its research community, Columbia has established a Research Stabilization Fund “to navigate these future funding risks and lend support to our scientific community in multiple forms.”

As Columbia tries its best to preserve its research capabilities, the school acknowledges the difficulty of these decisions and remains committed to supporting its academic community during this period of uncertainty.

“In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward,” Shipman wrote. “This is a deeply challenging time across all higher education, and we are attempting to navigate through tremendous ambiguity with precision, which will be imperfect at times.”

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