Trump torches Princeton’s climate funds, says research fuels ‘anxiety’

The Department of Commerce announced Tuesday it is pulling $4 million in federal funding from Princeton University, a move that strikes a blow to climate research projects associated with the prestigious institution. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the funding cuts followed "a detailed, careful, and thorough review of the Department’s financial assistance programs against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) current program objectives." The funding termination takes effect on June 30. The decision specifically impacts research efforts tied to NOAA, a sub-agency within the department, including Princeton’s Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES). The department argued these projects no longer align with NOAA’s mission or with President Donald Trump’s administration priorities. The Trump administration emphasized that the cuts are part of its broader effort to "streamline and reduce the cost and size of the Federal Government," consistent with what it called the president’s promise. “The Department of Commerce is delivering on that promise,” the news release stated. In fiscal year 2024, Princeton University had received a total of $455 million in federal funding. The Commerce Department now says some of those funds supported climate modeling and predictions that are no longer in favor with the administration. The CIMES program, as described on its website, has contributed significantly to developing climate and oceanic models and advancing the education of postdocs and graduate students. However, the department criticized the initiative, stating that it "promotes exaggerated and implausible climate threats, contributing to a phenomenon known as ‘climate anxiety,’ which has increased significantly among America’s youth." Other agreements impacted include the Climate Risks and Interactive Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Predictability project and the Advancing Prediction agreement. The department claimed the first “suggests that the Earth will have a significant fluctuation in its water availability as a result of global warming,” while the latter focused on assessing climate-related risks such as sea-level rise and altered precipitation patterns. “It also aims to address coastal inundation while other more targeted research efforts are addressing this issue,” the statement added. The Department of Commerce emphasized that future reviews of financial awards will continue “on an individualized basis to avoid wasteful governmental spending — whether they be to Princeton or any other recipient.” This funding cut comes amid a wave of scrutiny directed at academic institutions. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, the Trump administration has investigated numerous schools over allegations of antisemitism and has cut funding to several universities accused of allowing anti-Israel demonstrations on their campuses.