WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration has announced a freeze on $108 million in research funding for Duke University amid accusations of racial discrimination, particularly regarding the school's affirmative action policies. The National Institutes of Health has halted the funding as part of an investigation led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Education Department, which sent a joint letter earlier this week claiming racial preferences in hiring and admissions at Duke, a prominent private university in North Carolina.
This decision makes Duke the latest institution to have its federal funding withheld during ongoing investigations into allegations of antisemitism and the legality of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Other universities, including Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell, have also faced similar scrutiny as the administration aims to reshape university practices that it views as discriminatory against white and Asian American individuals.
In a letter directed to Duke, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Education Secretary Linda McMahon characterized the university’s practices as "vile racism." The letter alleges that Duke has engaged in racial discrimination through its admissions processes, hiring practices, and scholarship offerings without providing specific examples of these claims. The letter strongly asserts that any confirmed racial preferences would render Duke "unfit for any further financial relationship" with the federal government.
The letter calls for the immediate cessation of any practices at Duke's health system that provide advantages based on race. It also proposes the establishment of a new Merit and Civil Rights Committee that would be approved by the government and authorized by the school's board of trustees. This committee would be responsible for identifying and eliminating any racial preferences. The administration has warned that if issues persist after six months, it would pursue legal enforcement actions against the university.
Additionally, the Education Department has launched a separate investigation into the Duke Law Journal for allegedly providing editorial advantages to candidates from underrepresented groups. This aligns with the broader intentions of the Trump administration to use federal research funding as leverage in order to reform university policies perceived as liberal or biased.
Duke University reported spending $1.5 billion on research in the past year, with nearly 60% of that funding coming from federal sources, highlighting the critical impact of this funding freeze. Even prior to this latest development, Duke was already facing financial challenges, with university leaders noting that almost 600 employees accepted voluntary buyouts to manage costs amid uncertainties surrounding federal research funding and an increase in the federal endowment tax.
As universities navigate the pressures of funding, the Trump administration has been actively seeking settlements that would compel institutions to alter their practices. For instance, Columbia University recently signed an agreement to pay $200 million and make significant changes to its admissions, hiring, and disciplinary policies in exchange for reinstating access to federal funding. This agreement has been described as a potential model for other institutions, including Harvard, which is engaged in discussions with the administration while concurrently battling it in court.
