Cornell University reaches deal with Trump administration to restore federal funding for research

Cornell University has agreed to pay $60 million (€51.9 million) and accept US President Donald Trump’s administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws in order to restore federal funding and end investigations into the Ivy League school.

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced the agreement on Friday, saying it upholds the university’s academic freedom while restoring more than $250 million (€216 million) in research funding that the government withheld amid investigations into alleged civil rights violations.

Kotlikoff said the government’s funding freeze had stalled research, upended careers and threatened the future of academic programmes.

The university agreed to pay $30 million (€25.9 million) directly to the US government along with another $30 million towards research that will support American farmers.

The agreement is the latest struck between the Trump administration and elite colleges he has accused of tolerating antisemitism and promoting far-left ideas.

Trump is still locked in a standoff with Harvard, the nation's oldest and wealthiest university, and lately has tried an incentive-based approach by offering preferential access to federal funding for other schools that sign onto his political agenda.

Kotlikoff said the agreement revives the campus’ partnership with the federal government “while affirming the university’s commitment to the principles of academic freedom, independence, and institutional autonomy that, from our founding, have been integral to our excellence.”

The six-page agreement is similar to one signed by the University of Virginia last month. It’s shorter and less prescriptive than others signed by Columbia University and Brown University.

A statement from Cornell's chapter of the American Association of University Professors said the deal “omits many of the worst provisions” in agreements struck by other institutions. Still, it said Cornell's deal poses a threat to academic freedom and goes beyond what the law requires.

“One of the major concerns with these agreements generally has been, if you make a deal with somebody when they’re just extorting you, well, that only encourages future extortion,” said David Bateman, the chapter president, in an interview.

The agreement requires Cornell to comply with the government’s interpretation of civil rights laws on issues involving antisemitism, racial discrimination and transgender issues.

A US Justice Department memo that orders colleges to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion programmes and transgender-friendly policies will be used as a training resource for Cornell's faculty and staff.

The campus must also provide a wealth of admissions data that the government has separately sought from campuses to ensure race is no longer being considered as a factor in admissions decisions.

Trump has suggested some campuses are ignoring a 2023 Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in admissions. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called it a transformative commitment that puts a focus on “merit, rigour, and truth-seeking.”

“These reforms are a huge win in the fight to restore excellence to American higher education and make our schools the greatest in the world,” said McMahon in a post on X.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the agreement illustrates the value for universities that work with the administration.

Colleges that receive federal funding “must fully adhere to federal civil rights laws and ensure that harmful DEI policies do not discriminate against students,” Bondi said in a statement.

Cornell’s president is required to personally certify compliance with the agreement each quarter. The deal between the university and the Trump administration is effective through to the end of 2028.