A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration from making deep cuts to university research funding.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the National Science Foundation (NSF) policy change, announced in May, was unlawful. The plan would have limited money available for “indirect” costs like building maintenance and IT systems—expenses not tied directly to research.
Judge Talwani said the move was arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to federal law. Her decision is a major win for universities relying on NSF support.
The NSF currently calculates indirect costs case by case, based on each university’s real needs. But under the Trump administration’s plan, indirect costs would be capped at 15% of research funding.
Universities warned this change would damage vital work in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and cybersecurity.
The University of California, one of the plaintiffs, said it could lose nearly $100 million each year under the new rule.
The NSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
Judges have already blocked similar cuts made by the Trump administration to grants from the Energy Department and the National Institutes of Health.
Critics say the cuts show a pattern of devaluing scientific research and higher education.
This latest court ruling ensures that funding for essential research will continue without harmful restrictions—at least for now.
The fight over research funding is likely to continue, as universities and the federal government battle over the future of science in the United States.
