Federal research funding at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has seen a significant decline, with numbers dropping by 17 percent since President Donald Trump’s second term, as reported by outgoing Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin.
During a recent presentation to the Board of Regents, Mnookin provided detailed insights into the cuts faced by Wisconsin’s leading university under the Trump administration. These cuts included a noticeable reduction in the number of grants awarded.
Mnookin stated, “Many of our peer universities have experienced similar decreases as federal funding has been uncertain, reconfigured and stalled. This decline also has a double whammy aspect: fewer newly funded grants, plus a number of existing grants that were terminated midstream.”
In 2025, the university experienced a reduction of 375 grants compared to the previous year. Additionally, approximately 145 grants were ended or paused, resulting in a $27 million loss in grant funding.
A UW spokesperson clarified that the $27 million loss does not include potential additional funds expected in the coming years.
Mnookin mentioned that the anticipated scale of funding loss was not as severe as initially expected due to legal challenges to some of the administration’s actions. “As a result of some of the lawsuits challenging federal actions — and our legal team has been working tirelessly on that and many other issues — 43 of these grants have been reinstated,” she noted.
The volatility in federal funding remains a major concern, particularly as it represents the university’s largest single source of external revenue.
Throughout 2025, several ongoing grant-funded projects were cut when federal authorities determined they supported initiatives that conflicted with new policies, such as research on gender identity or coronavirus strains. The administration also scrutinized overhead costs, which researchers argue are essential for maintaining lab operations.
Legal action has been taken by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who has participated in several lawsuits challenging these cuts. UW-Madison has also been involved in legal efforts to counteract Trump’s directives.
In response to the funding uncertainty, UW-Madison implemented campus-wide budget cuts, affecting departmental budgets and altering funding offers for prospective graduate students.
When initial cuts targeted the National Institutes of Health (NIH), university leaders stood firm in defending the institution’s medical research endeavors.
Mnookin, who is set to become president of Columbia University, highlighted that some programs, in collaboration with agencies like the Department of Energy and NOAA, avoided expected funding cuts, thanks to efforts from Wisconsin’s congressional delegation in Congress.
System President Rothman credited discussions with Congress for preserving funding in recent spending bills. “Now that the majority of the federal government is funded through the duration of the fiscal year without — and this is important — without many of the dramatic cuts we had been most immediately concerned about earlier, our attention will remain on the importance of funding for higher education generally, and particularly as it relates to student financial aid and research,” Rothman stated.
However, Mnookin warned that cuts to federal agencies themselves pose ongoing challenges in managing and applying for research grants. “Many of the experienced federal agency employees that we depend on to help navigate … funding processes and to move them forward are no longer doing that work,” she said.
Mnookin also expressed concerns about the uncertain future of international students and staff, noting a decline in enrollment by about 500 students and challenges related to the H-1B visa program. This program, which supports skilled foreign workers in the U.S., has faced scrutiny from Trump and his allies, including a proposed $100,000 fee for new visa petitions.
Mnookin emphasized the vital role of international members in the university community: “I want to be clear: our international students, faculty and staff, are essential to our university. They enrich our campus, culturally and academically. They bring perspectives that advance our research and enliven the exchange of ideas. Many of them have also gone on to create businesses and opportunities right here in the state of Wisconsin, including entrepreneurship opportunities all throughout the state.”
