Harvard Begins Reviewing National Science Foundation Grants, Expanding Response to Trump’s Orders

Harvard Vice Provost for Research John H. Shaw sent an email Wednesday afternoon notifying faculty that the University would begin assessing National Science Foundation grants after the NSF instructed researchers to cease activities barred under President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

The email, sent roughly an hour after Trump walked back a proposed freeze on federal grants, reminded faculty that other executive actions — such as orders to stop work on diversity-related components of research projects — remained in place.

Shaw described the rescission as “excellent news” but reiterated that Harvard researchers would be expected to abide by the ongoing stop-work orders.

In an email to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Tuesday, interim FAS Office of Research Administration co-leads Sara Lyn Elwell and Katherine Gate wrote that Harvard was working to comply with NASA’s Jan. 20 directive to halt diversity efforts on projects receiving NASA grants.

The NSF’s directive threatens to impact a wider range of researchers at Harvard. In 2024, the University received $56 million in funding from the Foundation, which funds research across the natural sciences and social sciences — including projects that investigate quantum materials, team-based learning in high school classrooms, and the economics of infrastructure.

The NSF’s Wednesday directive instructed grant recipients to cease all “conferences, trainings, workshops, considerations for staffing and participant selection, and any other grant activity that uses or promotes the use of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) principles and frameworks.”

Shaw wrote that Harvard “will be expanding our assessment of such grant activities to include select NSF proposals with the goal of working with you to establish guidelines for ensuring compliance.”

The NSF has paused its scheduled grant review panels until Feb. 1. Still, Harvard research administrators encouraged faculty on Tuesday to continue applying to grants.

The rapid-fire orders from the White House have left Harvard officials scrambling to respond.

In his Wednesday email, Shaw announced that the University would set up a website “shortly” to gather guidance and communications from administrators on how researchers should respond if they receive stop-work orders.

“While the federal landscape continues to be evolving and fluid, for now we reaffirm the guidance provided yesterday to continue sponsored research activities that are not affected by stop work orders,” Shaw wrote.

—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at veronica.paulus@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus.