Brown reaches deal with federal government to restore funding

Brown University has reached an agreement with the federal government to restore funding for things like research grants, the prestigious college said.

The “voluntary agreement” reached Wednesday restores funding for medical and science research that is funded by the federal government, the school said in a release. The deal also resolves three outstanding reviews that were looking at Brown’s “compliance with federal nondiscrimination obligations.”

Brown President Christina H. Paxson in a letter said the federal funding freeze, which began in April, put strain on the University, that, “if left unaddressed, would have undermined our ability to conduct life-saving research and to offer our students a world-class education.”

A deal was eventually reached, she explained, noting the university’s commitment to maintaining academic independence from the federal government, as well as “remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown,” Paxson said.

The resolution reinstates payments for active research grants and gives Brown the opportunity to compete for new federal grants, according to the school’s statement.

A fact sheet from the Trump Administration said the agreement “ensures Brown will not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in admissions or university programming,” which the government had accused the school of engaging in. It also said Brown will provide data to the government to ensure it is abiding by that part of the agreement.