PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — Brown University announced it has reached a voluntary agreement with the federal government to restore research funding on Wednesday.
According to university officials, the agreement will also resolve three open reviews that are assessing Brown’s compliance with federal non-discrimination obligations.
This came after accusations the school didn’t do enough to stop the harassment of Jewish students.
The university will pay $50 million in grants over 10 years to workforce development organizations in Rhode Island as part of the agreement, Brown President Christina H. Paxson said.
According to the university, this will restore medical and health science research funding, including reimbursement of more than $50 million in unpaid federal grant costs.
The voluntary agreement will reinstate payments for active research grants and restore Brown’s ability to compete for new federal grants and contracts, while also meeting the core imperative of preserving the ability for our students and scholars — both domestic and international — to teach and learn without government intrusion,” Paxson said in a statement. “We applaud the agreement’s unequivocal assertion that the agreement does not give the government the ‘authority to dictate Brown’s curriculum or the content of academic speech.'”
Paxson noted that the agreement is not a result of determination of fault by the federal government, and that the university denies any fault or violation of federal law.
The agreement states that Brown University will use the government’s definition of “male” and “female” for various events and athletic opportunities.
The school also agreed to remove any consideration of race from the admissions process.
According to the agreement, Brown will get rid of “programs that promote unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas, diversity targets, or similar efforts.”
Because of the Trump Administration’s resolution agreement with Brown University, aspiring students will be judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex. Brown has committed to proactive measures to protect Jewish students and combat Antisemitism on campus. Women’s sports and intimate facilities will be protected for women and Title IX will be enforced as it was intended,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Restoring our nation’s higher education institutions to places dedicated to truth-seeking, academic merit, and civil debate — where all students can learn free from discrimination and harassment — will be a lasting legacy of the Trump administration, one that will benefit students and American society for generations to come.”
