Columbia University to sack 180 officials after federal funding loss

Columbia University has announced that it will lay off nearly 180 staff members following United States President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke $400 million in federal funding.

The funding cut is reportedly in response to the university’s handling of student protests against the war in Gaza.

According to a statement issued by Columbia University on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the layoffs represent approximately 20 per cent of employees whose roles were supported in some way by the now-terminated federal grants.

The university said: “We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources.

“Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”

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University spokesperson Jessica Murphy declined to comment on whether more layoffs are expected but said Columbia was taking a range of steps to enhance financial flexibility.

These include maintaining current salary levels and offering voluntary retirement incentives, AP reported.

The university also planned to scale back research activities. Some departments would wind down specific studies, while others would continue limited operations as they sought alternative funding sources.

Research areas impacted include projects such as the development of an antiviral nasal spray for infectious diseases, studies on maternal mortality and morbidity, treatment research for chronic conditions like long COVID, care for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome, and colorectal cancer screenings.

The Star