On Tuesday, leadership at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons issued a statement announcing pauses on hiring, travel, events, and other activities as President Trump’s orders to cut medical research funding are challenged in court.

On Tuesday, February 11, James McKiernan, Interim Dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons sent a letter to faculty that the school would be initiating spending cuts and pausing hiring to control costs, effective immediately according to a report by the Gothamist. The announcement comes after the Trump administration announced plans to cut over $4 billion in medical research funding, an initiative that has since been temporarily halted by federal courts. 

Budgeting measures will include pauses on a number of the College’s activities, including hiring, travel, and events, McKiernan wrote. In 2023, Columbia University Health Sciences received over $600 million in NIH funds, making it one of the top recipients of federal medical research funding. 
According to McKiernan, the cuts come as preemptive responses to recent orders from the Trump administration and “NIH guidance to substantially reduce facilities and administrative cost recovery for federally funded programs. 

The College’s Department of Psychiatry chair Joshua Gordon wrote a comparable letter to the psychiatry faculty on Tuesday, noting that pauses on various activities will be implemented “regardless of the[ir] source of funding.” Gordon also mentioned a pause on unrestricted funds at the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, a nonprofit that assists state agencies with research, writing that he hopes to “relax this pause within a few days.”

On Thursday, Interim Columbia President and former CEO of Columbia medical school Katrina Armstrong addressed similar concerns in an email to the Columbia community. She wrote that she has “been traveling to Capitol Hill to advocate for Columbia and for higher education with members of Congress,” as the University navigates executive orders to cut federal research funding, among other policies pertaining to higher education. 

In the message, Armstrong acknowledged the current “period of uncertainty,” noting that University leadership has been “preparing for this changing federal policy environment,” consulting with experts and other higher education institutions to coordinate strategy. 

Armstrong also emphasized the importance of community input, writing that University administration “will continue to share updates without community on developments… but we welcome your ideas as well.”

Email from Columbia Interim President Katrina Armstrong to the Columbia community at 3:34 pm on Thursday, February 13:

Dear members of the Columbia community:

The challenges we face in this moment are no secret. Along with other leaders of our University, I have been traveling to Capitol Hill to advocate for Columbia and for higher education with members of Congress who are shaping the future of our nation. We are still figuring out how to navigate the ongoing changes in the federal government’s approach to its funding of research and other policies affecting higher education. I want to share some thoughts on the situation and a few conclusions I’ve drawn from my congressional visits.

First, I believe this period of uncertainty will continue for some time. We must work together as we face these new challenges and the new realities that emerge from them. Many of you have reached out to provide new ideas and insight, to express concern or anger, or to offer your help and collaboration. Your outreach and responses speak to the depth of the Columbia community’s commitment to its mission. Please know that for several months our leadership has been actively preparing for this changing federal policy environment, working with experts and peer institutions, evaluating potential impacts, and undertaking strategic planning. We cannot predict all that will unfold, but we are actively planning to mitigate the worst effects and as we know more will continue to share and engage the community in that planning. I can promise you that our leaders and I are working around the clock, along with many alumni and supporters of the University and so many of you in your labs, classrooms, and offices every day, to do everything we can to ensure that this great institution continues to thrive.

Second, during times of historic uncertainty and change, the path forward can be illuminated by our values. Columbia University has a noble, essential mission. We must affirm and defend it. At the same time, we must be honest and humble enough to recognize our flaws and focus on the areas where we can do better. This kind of fearless introspection is how great institutions remain that way. As we move forward, I have asked our deans to engage our faculty and students within their schools in efforts to focus on our mission, define priorities, candidly address new approaches, and take action to strengthen Columbia for the future.

Finally, we need your input and suggestions. The talent and intellect of this community is our greatest resource. We will continue to share updates with our community on developments and the actions we are undertaking, but we welcome your ideas as well. I have no doubt that our Columbia community is up to rising to meet this moment. If we work together we can emerge from this time stronger than ever.

All my best,

Katrina Armstrong

Interim President, Columbia University in the City of New York

Columbia Medical School via Wikimedia Commons