Federal Judge Blocks NSF Research Funding Cuts to US Universities

A federal judge, Indira Talwani, blocked the National Science Foundation (NSF) from enforcing a policy that capped indirect cost reimbursements for university research grants at 15%, a significant reduction from prior negotiated rates of up to 65%. The ruling described the NSF's policy as "arbitrary and capricious," siding with lawsuits filed by major universities and academic groups who argued that the cuts would undermine the infrastructure necessary for cutting-edge scientific research. The NSF had introduced the cap as part of an effort under President Donald Trump's administration to rein in administrative expenses, which had grown substantially within the agency's $9 billion research budget. This decision follows similar court injunctions against funding restrictions by the NIH and Department of Energy, reflecting broader legal pushback against the administration's attempts to reduce federal research funding. Universities contend that these cuts threaten America's global competitiveness in science, while the NSF and White House have not commented on the ruling. The judge's decision is viewed as a victory for academic institutions defending federal research support amid ongoing political and fiscal pressures.