Cornell University restores $250M in federal research funding after deal with US government

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Cornell University, a major research university in the US state of New York, announced Friday that it had reached an agreement with the federal government to immediately restore and continue $250 million in research funding, ending months of disruptions that affected faculty and students.

"Since April of this year, Cornell has been subject to more than $250 million in federal funding interruptions, which have disrupted the research of faculty and students across all campuses.

"Today I write to share that Cornell has reached an agreement with the federal government to immediately restore and continue the university’s research funding," Michael Kotlikoff, the university's president, said in a statement.

Underlining Cornell's independence as a private university, Kotlikoff said: "The agreement recognizes our rights, as a private university, to define the conditions on our campuses that advance learning and produce new knowledge."

He also stated that the agreement reaffirms the university's commitment to follow the law, protect everyone in the community from discrimination, and make admissions and hiring decisions based on merit.

With the latest agreement, the US government will end all ongoing investigations into the university, restore terminated grants, and allow Cornell to apply for new research funding without any restrictions.

Cornell will also invest $30 million over three years in US agricultural research and pay another $30 million to the government, according to the deal.

"The resolution is explicit that Cornell's agreement to these terms is not an admission of wrongdoing," Kotlikoff said.

The university described the agreement as a step toward resuming its long partnership with the federal government, supporting research that benefits both the US and the world.