The Trump administration has rescinded $2.2 billion in federal research funding previously awarded to Harvard University, citing the Ivy League institution’s failure to adequately address antisemitism on campus and ongoing allegations of racial discrimination, according to a senior White House official, as reported by The New York Post.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the direction of Michelle Bulls, Director of Extramural Research, issued a formal letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on May 6.

The letter informed Garber that the funding would be terminated, stating the money had not been used “to benefit the American people and improve their quality of life.”

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The letter further condemned the university’s handling of “widespread abuse of Jewish and Israeli students” by protestors on campus.

It also accused the school of continuing to engage in racial discrimination in both its admissions process and through operations at the Harvard Law Review.

“Supporting research in such an environment is plainly inconsistent with NIH’s priorities,” Bulls wrote.

Bulls advised Harvard that it may submit objections and documentation challenging the terminations, which would be reviewed by NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. The university has 30 days to submit such a request.

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The decision to revoke the federal funding follows Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration after the original freeze on grant money.

The legal standoff escalated further this week when Education Secretary Linda McMahon advised Harvard administrators not to apply for additional federal grants.

The NIH funding cuts represent one of the largest financial penalties levied against a U.S. university for alleged violations related to civil rights and campus safety.

The funding in question was taxpayer-provided and tied to federally supported research grants. NIH’s justification pointed to a campus climate that it argued undermines the core values of fairness, inclusion, and the responsible use of public funds.

The Trump administration has taken a firm position against antisemitic incidents at institutions of higher learning.

ICYMI 🚨:

President Trump’s administration has terminated Harvard’s $2.2 billion in NIH funding. pic.twitter.com/HQHT6FWGPd

— BABS D (@Barbara14130169) May 8, 2025

The decision involving Harvard marks one of the administration’s most high-profile responses to the recent wave of protests and complaints at elite universities across the country.

Harvard University has not yet issued a formal public response to the funding withdrawal. The school previously defended its practices in court and has pushed back against federal involvement in its internal affairs.