Since taking office just over 100 days ago, President Donald Trump has made slashing government funding a priority of his administration. While Trump's efforts to cut waste and fraud in government are praiseworthy, an unfortunate casualty in this effort has been American universities, which have seen billions of dollars of funding cut in a shortsighted and counterproductive move.
The most concerning and reckless of these higher education cuts are cuts to research funding. The White House reportedly plans to slash funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) by 55%. The NSF, which currently receives $9 billion annually, supports basic research at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide and has supported the development of breakthrough technologies such as semiconductors, the internet, LASIK eye surgery and 3D printing. Trump similarly wants to cut funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funds biomedical research, from $47 billion annually to $26.7 billion, a reduction of almost half. Doing so would put cutting-edge research that develops new medicines and supports clinical trials for diseases that impact millions of Americans’ lives, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Another worrying threat is the Trump administration’s push to cut facilities and administration (F&A) costs to 15%. Notre Dame is among the institutions that would be affected, with an F&A rate of 56.5%. In February, The Observer reported that the change could strip over $7 million in NIH funding from Notre Dame each year. The Department of Energy has since announced a similar policy, that if enacted, would also negatively impact the University.
Federal funding from these institutions does not pay for regilding the Golden Dome, the rock climbing wall in Duncan Student Center or renovations of residence halls. It pays for research that yields tremendous benefits for all of America.
Efforts to lower the deficit should not be focused on reducing research funding. The money the federal government would save through these planned cuts would barely make a dent in the deficit, but would be felt deeply by Americans for generations to come. Research is often too unpredictable and returns on investment too diffuse and long-term for the private sector to take over research responsibilities from the government. American universities’ innovations in science and technology have made this country great and hamstring progress in science and medicine will only make America weaker.
A number of universities, including Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern and Princeton, have already seen their funding frozen. Harvard has sued the federal government for freezing $2.2 billion in previously allocated funding for the university. They are within their rights to do so.
Notre Dame has not yet been targeted by the White House for funding cuts. The University’s response to the Trump administration’s actions so far have been measured. We believe that the University is acting wisely. Notre Dame should not take an overly combative stance, lest we risk becoming the next target of a capricious funding freeze. The Trump administration has started a game of chess and Notre Dame has to methodically calculate its next move.
Amidst these rapid changes, Notre Dame has taken precautions, including a hiring freeze, in case the University is the next target of Trump’s attack on higher education. The University is also working to limit spending on travel, entertainment and events. It has ordered each division, college and school to model what a five percent budget reduction might look like if they were forced to implement it.
This approach to possible funding cuts is the right one, but we should be clear-eyed that things could get much worse for Notre Dame. Ultimately, an antagonistic approach to the federal government risks exacerbating the situation.
Instead, the University should join with other colleges to present a united voice for continued investment in research, as University President Fr. Robert Dowd did when he signed a public statement released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities calling for “constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic” into higher education. We are at our best when we unite our voice with others to stand up for our fundamental values of academic independence and pursuit of the truth.
We commend Notre Dame for its constructive, not combative, handling of this crisis. Notre Dame has done what it should do — act in the best interest of its students, faculty and staff while safeguarding its ability to carry out its mission.
