Australia’s top universities said on Thursday that the Donald Trump administration had cut United States funding to some researchers and required others receiving U.S. government support to demonstrate alignment with American interests.
The Group of Eight, a coalition of Australia’s most research-intensive universities, said Trump’s funding cut could jeopardise crucial medical and defence research in the country.
Some researchers who receive funding from U.S. federal agencies had been asked to assess their work’s compliance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda in a 36-point questionnaire, said the universities.
Researchers ‘Extremely Concerned’
The survey included questions on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that the Trump administration has been seeking to end. In some cases, recipients were only given 48 hours to respond, the Group of Eight said.
“We are extremely concerned about the broader implications of the Trump administration’s policy, not only for the future of health and medical research, but especially regarding defence collaboration,” the Group of Eight CEO Vicki Thomson said in a statement to Reuters.
The Group of Eight has sought Australian government intervention and is seeking urgent guidance from the U.S. government, including a time extension to respond to the questionnaire, the statement said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Canberra declined to comment. Australia’s education ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Group of Eight universities carry out 70% of all university research in Australia and the U.S. is their single largest global research partner.
The universities collectively received around $161.6 million in grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) between 2020 and 2024.
‘Show Cause’ Notification
The universities said some researchers had received a “show cause” notification to justify ongoing funding over the past week and an extensive survey with questions relating to the Trump administration’s priorities and research collaboration with China, Russia, Cuba or Iran.
The questionnaire, issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and seen by Reuters, asked Australian researchers questions such as: “Can you confirm that this is no DEI project (sic) or DEI elements of the project?” and “Does this project take appropriate measures to protect women and to defend against gender ideology?”
It also asked them to rank their projects on a scale from 1-5 based on how it promoted U.S. interests such as preventing illegal immigration, limiting the flow of illicit drugs into the country, “combatting Christian prosecution” and strengthening U.S. supply chains.
(With inputs from Reuters)
