Johns Hopkins University is facing a financial crisis as the Trump administration revokes $800 million (Rs 6,978 crore) in federal grants, forcing the institution to plan layoffs and cancel major health initiatives. The funding cuts, part of a broader crackdown on higher education institutions, have already led to halted projects both locally and internationally, as reported by Hindustan News.
The impact extends beyond the university itself, with Baltimore’s economy also expected to suffer. Johns Hopkins, the city’s largest private employer and a key player in its innovation sector, now faces potential ripple effects that could further destabilise the local economy.
The funding cut follows a similar move against Columbia University, where $400 million (Rs 3,489 crore) in grants and contracts were withdrawn over its handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. As per Hindustan News, Johns Hopkins is among several universities challenging these decisions in court, fearing additional budget reductions that could cripple research efforts.
Johns Hopkins has long been a leader in medical and scientific breakthroughs, with its researchers credited for pioneering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), verifying the authenticity of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and introducing the use of surgical rubber gloves. The institution spends over $3 billion (Rs 26,166 crore) annually on research — more than any other university in the United States.
Nearly half of its funding last year came from federal research grants, according to Johns Hopkins President Ronald Daniels. In a March 4 letter, he warned that these cuts would have a ripple effect on faculty, students, and staff alike.
Among the most affected initiatives is the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO), a nonprofit that has worked on public health programmes across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The funding halt has derailed an eight-year effort worth $500 million (Rs 4,361 crore) aimed at promoting mosquito-net usage in Mozambique, breastfeeding in Baltimore, and contraception in Nigeria. Other projects, including a diarrhoea-prevention initiative in Bangladesh, have also been suspended.
Dr Judd Walson, Head of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s international health department, remarked, “A lot of what has been broken in the last six to eight weeks is not repairable,” adding that the university's financial model will look drastically different in the coming years.
In 2022, Johns Hopkins accounted for over $15 billion (Rs 130,830 crore) in economic output within Maryland, underscoring the broader impact of these cuts.
