Trump Administration Restores Brown University's $510M Research Grants After $50M Settlement

Brown University has reached a settlement with the Trump administration to restore access to more than $500 million in frozen federal research grants. The Ivy League institution agreed to pay $50 million over the next decade to support workforce development in Rhode Island, among other policy concessions. The agreement follows months of negotiations stemming from a wider federal push to reshape higher education policies nationwide.

"The University's foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown," wrote Brown President Christina Paxson in a statement released Wednesday.

The deal restores access to crucial medical and scientific research funds that had been withheld amid allegations that the university's DEI practices and campus climate failed to meet federal civil rights standards. Brown now becomes the third major university—following Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania—to settle with the federal government this year under similar pressure.

Key Terms of the Agreement

According to federal officials and university leadership, the settlement includes the following terms:

• $50 million commitment to Rhode Island workforce development initiatives over 10 years.
• A third-party campus climate survey focused on Jewish students, jointly designed with federal oversight.
• A review and rollback of any diversity hiring quotas, admissions rubrics, or DEI-related mandates that may conflict with merit-based standards.
• Compliance with federal definitions on gender and biological sex for campus housing, athletics, and identity documentation—effectively limiting transgender participation in certain categories.

Notably, Brown's deal does not require an independent monitor—a provision present in Columbia's settlement.

"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," said Education Secretary Linda McMahon in an official statement.

Broader Context

This resolution comes amid a sweeping effort by the Trump administration to pressure elite universities to abandon affirmative action–adjacent practices and revise their handling of campus speech, identity, and antisemitism. Critics of the administration argue that the tactic of freezing funding—more than $3.5 million per week in Brown's case—constitutes political coercion and undermines academic independence.

The administration has previously launched similar investigations at Yale, MIT, and Stanford, signaling a long-term agenda to reshape how institutions balance merit, equity, and free speech.

@Reuters (July 30): "Brown University reaches deal to restore federal funding, will pay $50 million." Link

Reactions and Implications

While the university emphasized that it made no admission of wrongdoing, civil rights groups and student advocates have expressed concern over the broader implications of the deal.

Brown's president defended the outcome, stating that the agreement "does not give the government the authority to dictate Brown's curriculum or the content of academic speech."

Still, equity advocates have pointed out that the agreement's targeted focus on Jewish student protections lacks parallel provisions for Arab or Muslim students, despite reports of Islamophobia on some campuses during recent protests.

Higher education analysts warn that these settlements could set a troubling precedent, where financial leverage from the federal government becomes a tool to enforce ideological conformity.

What Comes Next

As the 2025–26 academic year approaches, universities across the country are watching Brown's agreement closely. Many expect similar offers—or ultimatums—from the Trump administration in the months ahead.

Brown, meanwhile, is tasked with navigating internal dissent and external scrutiny while maintaining access to vital research funding.