Introduction to the Crisis
The union representing 30,000 faculty and staff at the City University of New York (CUNY) is calling on the City Council to step in and “bridge the funding gap” on research at the university after the Trump administration froze all National Science Foundation grants and imposed strict limits on research funding reimbursements.
The Impact of Funding Cuts
Ahead of the Council’s executive budget hearing, where CUNY officials will discuss the university’s cut of the budget, James Davis, president of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), said the union will be seeking “some additional investment” to soften the impact of the sudden funding freeze on April 30. The cuts have disrupted research at CUNY campuses across the five boroughs, leaving faculty in limbo and projects underfunded. As of late April, over 60 grant-funded projects at CUNY had been canceled, and according to Davis, the number may have increased since.
The Need for Interim Funding
In addition to the funding freeze, the National Science Foundation’s new policy limits indirect cost reimbursement, which helps cover infrastructure and administrative costs, to 15%. Davis warned that without such support, many research efforts become unsustainable. The union is advocating for interim “bridge funding” from the city, “so that these projects can continue for the near future, because any long-term solution is going to have to involve restoration of federal funding.”
The Broader Implications
He stressed that the goal of the testimony being delivered to the City Council is not only to secure funding but to underline the broader implications: “Our goal is on the one hand, to make a case for funding, and as well, to make that case, not just for the individual careers or flourishing of the affected professor, but for the impact that that has on the city as a whole.” The university’s initial budget request to the City Council may have been submitted before the extent of the funding cuts became clear, and does not currently set aside any monies solely for research.
The Reality of Private Funding
Asked whether private or philanthropic funding could serve as an alternative, Davis was blunt: “In the view of the union, that’s not sustainable, because our view is that the research at a public university should primarily be publicly funded. It’s a public good, full stop.” The City University of New York has always operated just at the margins, and to try to fund in full the gap that’s left by these federal funding cuts would really require a pretty dramatic investment.
Frozen Research
Professor Claire Wladis, a mathematics professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College, said she received “an abrupt” notice from the NSF on May 2, effectively ending a multi-year research project examining how health conditions impact STEM students, and what colleges need to do to support them. The terminated project focused on understanding how illness, injury, disability, or mental health conditions affect the academic progress of STEM majors.
The Human Impact
Students who participated in the study often shared intensely personal stories. “Many of the students that we interviewed cried during their interviews,” she said. “One older student who had a severe, undiagnosed illness vomited during the interview but likewise insisted on continuing.” Prof. Wladis said that large-scale studies on how health-related issues impact STEM students are virtually nonexistent, noting that the scope and frequency of such challenges among college students remain largely undocumented, and the sudden termination of her project halts critical work that could fill this gap.
The Way Forward
If funding is not restored quickly, the research team would need to rebuild from scratch, resulting in at least a year’s delay. She estimated that continuing the project as originally designed would require between $1.6 and $2 million in additional funding. Without that support, Wladis said, the research cannot move forward. Wladis also pointed to a concerning national trend, noting that many of the canceled grants have targeted education research, an area she called central to CUNY’s mission.
Conclusion
The sudden freeze on National Science Foundation grants has left CUNY faculty and staff in a state of uncertainty, with many research projects canceled or underfunded. The union is calling on the City Council to provide interim funding to bridge the gap, while also highlighting the broader implications of the funding cuts on the city as a whole. It is essential that the city takes concrete steps to support research at CUNY, including providing funding, offering time and salary support to faculty, and backing efforts to appeal grant cancellations.
FAQs
Q: What is the impact of the Trump administration’s funding freeze on CUNY research projects?
A: The funding freeze has resulted in the cancellation of over 60 grant-funded projects at CUNY, with many more at risk of being underfunded or terminated.
Q: What is the union’s proposal to address the funding gap?
A: The union is calling on the City Council to provide interim "bridge funding" to support research projects until federal funding is restored.
Q: Can private or philanthropic funding serve as an alternative to public funding?
A: No, according to the union, research at a public university should primarily be publicly funded, as it is a public good.
Q: What is the estimated cost of continuing Prof. Wladis’s research project?
A: The estimated cost of continuing the project as originally designed is between $1.6 and $2 million in additional funding.
Q: What is the potential consequence of not restoring funding quickly?
A: If funding is not restored quickly, the research team would need to rebuild from scratch, resulting in at least a year’s delay.
