Recent federal actions against Harvard have endangered scientific research

Harvard Medical School is an epicenter of biomedical discovery with a long history of transformative scientific advances and innovations that have improved, extended, and saved the lives of countless people. Right now, our promising research across a range of disease areas – cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and more – faces an existential threat.

Unlawful terminations and current status

Since the beginning of 2025, our research enterprise has faced tremendous instability due to several federal funding cuts targeted at Harvard. More than 350 federal grants and contracts at HMS were terminated, representing approximately $230 million in funding each year. These terminations also jeopardized more than 230 outgoing HMS subawards to hospitals and academic research institutions in 23 states and in Washington, DC – including more than 100 at HMS-affiliated hospitals and the Broad Institute – who have specialized expertise and equipment needed to collaborate on and carry out this important lifesaving and life-altering research.

Federal grants are not gifts; rather, the U.S. government identified these research projects as priorities for the American people and selected researchers at Harvard for this funding through a highly competitive process led by impartial peers.

On Sept. 3, 2025, a ruling by Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court in Boston said that the government had broken the law by freezing research funds at Harvard. Since that ruling, Harvard has received notices of reinstatements of many of the terminated federal awards, as well as payments for the vast majority of the expenditures incurred on the unlawfully frozen and terminated awards. These payments are reimbursements for past work. On Dec. 18, 2025, the Justice Department announced it was appealing the judge’s ruling in favor of Harvard.

Continued uncertainty

The future status of federal research funding at Harvard remains uncertain. In addition to the government’s appeal of the judge’s ruling in favor of Harvard in the research funding case, Harvard also faces a reduction in its negotiated rate of essential research support costs (“indirect costs”), changes to the selection criteria for new grants, and threats to our eligibility to apply for and receive future grants and federal funding. The earnings on Harvard’s endowment are now subject to an unprecedented tax, which erodes our capacity to support our missions of research, education, and service.

Collectively, these uncertainties continue to threaten Harvard Medical School’s research enterprise. The future of this work – funded by taxpayers and done in service to humanity – hangs in the balance and threatens to disrupt the promise of new discoveries, medicines, devices, and improvements in clinical care that benefit patients and families everywhere.

Our community and the research at risk

In the Media

Protect Research at Harvard Medical School

As we navigate this period of instability and uncertainty, gifts to Harvard Medical School help to bridge critical funding gaps and sustain independent research.

You can also follow us on social media (@harvardmed) and share our content to help raise awareness of HMS research at risk.

Learn more about the ways you can advocate for Harvard and higher education.