The Trump administration is warning major research universities that accepting money from foreign organizations flagged by the U.S. government could jeopardize their eligibility for future federal grants.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
The State Department and Education Department are preparing heightened scrutiny of American colleges and universities that receive funding from foreign companies and organizations appearing on federal watch lists, as the Trump administration moves to address concerns about outside influence and national security risks within higher education.
University disclosure records reviewed by CBS News show that dozens of prominent U.S. research institutions collectively received $27.6 million from watch-listed foreign entities during roughly the second half of last year, according to State Department and Education Department officials.
The entities appeared on at least one of 10 cautionary or restricted lists maintained by the departments of Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security, Defense and State. Those lists identify companies and organizations warranting additional scrutiny because of their connections to foreign government interests.
Federal officials are now coordinating efforts to examine academic relationships involving those organizations. The administration maintains that some foreign-funded partnerships could expose American research institutions to national security threats.
The funding disclosures include millions of dollars linked to organizations in China. In one case, a Chinese company involved in developing advanced aeronautical technology for the People’s Liberation Army provided more than $7 million combined to three highly ranked American research universities.
Another disclosed arrangement involved the Beijing Institute of Technology and Bryant University in Rhode Island. The $22.6 million agreement, reported in 2020, covered a 50-year contract and represented the largest individual amount identified in the reviewed records.
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers formally notified the governing boards of major research universities Wednesday that foreign funding relationships will receive greater consideration during future federal grant evaluations.
Rogers warned that grant-making agencies will examine whether universities have accepted money from foreign entities included on U.S. government watch lists. Institutions that continue such financial relationships could face the loss or denial of federal funding.
“Universities receive millions in funding from foreign entities on U.S. government watch lists, records show,” CBS News reported.
“Major U.S. universities have received millions of dollars in funding from foreign entities that are on U.S. government watch lists, according to a CBS News review of university funding records submitted to the Department of Education.
“State Department and Education Department officials say the disclosure forms, which have not been previously reported, show a combined $27.6 million received in roughly the second half of last year by dozens of top American research institutions that originated from entities appearing on at least one federal government watch list. There are 10 cautionary and restricted watch lists overseen by the departments of Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security, Defense and State, which flag companies and organizations that should be subject to extra scrutiny due to their ties to foreign government interests.
“The two agencies are working together to crack down on academic partnerships with foreign companies and organizations that the Trump administration says could threaten national security.
“In one example from the disclosure forms, a company in China that develops state-of-the-art aeronautics for the People’s Liberation Army gave more than $7 million total to three American universities considered top-tier research institutions. In another instance, the largest amount in the documents, disclosed in 2020, was $22.6 million for a 50-year contract from the Beijing Institute of Technology to Bryant University in Rhode Island.
“On Wednesday, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers sent a letter to the governing boards of major research universities alerting them that future grant-making agencies will be checking if institutions take money from foreign entities on U.S. watch lists — and could pull federal funding for those that do.”
Concerns about foreign financial influence on American campuses have persisted for years. Near the end of Trump’s first presidential term, Senate Republicans pressed for stronger measures aimed at countering China’s financial and institutional presence at U.S. colleges and universities.
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