NSF Freezes New Funding for 4 Elite Universities, Leaving 33 Proposals Stalled
Updated
Updated · Inside Higher Ed · May 29
NSF Freezes New Funding for 4 Elite Universities, Leaving 33 Proposals Stalled
6 articles · Updated · Inside Higher Ed · May 29
As of April 9, the National Science Foundation put future awards to Duke, Harvard, Princeton and Yale on hold, sharply curbing new grants to the four schools.
Only 13 new NSF grants have gone to those universities this fiscal year, versus 218 combined in 2024; Duke and Harvard have received none since the hold began.
Thirty-three proposals from researchers at the four institutions remain paused, with approval times stretching to an average of 91 days from the usual 10.
Nature reported the restrictions from internal NSF documents, while the agency declined to explain why those universities were singled out or how long the limits will last.
What undisclosed compliance issues could trigger a complete NSF funding freeze for four top universities?
Is the federal grant hold a strategic pivot away from elite institutions in scientific research?