Washington University responds to Trump administration’s ‘threat to research’

ST. LOUIS — A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration failed to comply with his previous order to unfreeze billions in federal research grants. Washington University and other research institutions scrambling to assess the impact on their operations.

U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell ordered the administration to “immediately take every step necessary” to restore funding for programs including early childhood education, pollution reduction, and HIV prevention research. The administration has appealed the ruling.

Washington University Chancellor Andrew D. Martin said the university’s leadership team is “closely monitoring the situation” and preparing response plans while engaging with national organizations to address the research funding cuts.

The decision blocks planned cuts to National Institutes of Health grant funding that would have affected facilities and administration costs at research universities nationwide. Washington University officials said they have mobilized their government relations team to work with congressional representatives on addressing what they called a “threat to research.”

“For the past several weeks, we have been watching carefully as the new administration has taken office. As other proposed or actual changes to research funding have happened, we have communicated directly with our research community to make sure our scientists have had the best information we have to better navigate the situation and manage their individual work. With this latest announcement, we felt it was important to reach out to our full community so you all are aware of how we are responding,” states Chancellor Martin.

The ruling comes amid growing tension between the judiciary and executive branch, as Trump administration officials recently questioned courts’ authority to check executive power. Federal judges have temporarily blocked several other administration initiatives, including efforts to end birthright citizenship and implement a mass deferred resignation plan for federal workers.

The White House previously defended the funding freeze as necessary to align federal spending with the president’s agenda, with the press secretary indicating some spending halts would continue as part of the administration’s executive order strategy.