Decades of fossil fuel influence paved way for Trump’s assault on university research, study says
Summary
A new study says that recent actions by the Trump administration against US universities are part of a long history of influence by fossil fuel companies, libertarian donors, and conservative groups. These outside forces have reduced universities’ independence, especially in climate and energy research, by controlling funding and research topics.Key Facts
- The Trump administration froze billions in university research funding starting in 2025 and investigated 75 institutions.
- $4 million in climate research grants at Princeton University were canceled, and scientists were accused of causing “climate anxiety.”
- Many scientists now avoid using terms like “climate change” in grant requests to avoid rejection.
- The Academic Freedom Index showed a drop in US university independence from 3.3 in 2019 to 1.7 in 2025 on a scale of 0 to 4.
- Fossil fuel companies and libertarian donors have funded universities for decades to influence research and policy.
- David Koch donated over $185 million to MIT and was part of its top governing body.
- Between 2010-2020, six fossil fuel companies gave over $700 million to US universities, affecting faculty hiring and research topics.
- Some states have created publicly funded libertarian centers that avoid faculty control and receive taxpayer money.
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