The Johns Hopkins University said this week it has laid off 110 staff members, attributing the personnel reductions to cuts in federal research funding that have reduced the size of its sponsored research portfolio. The university said the layoffs affect administrative functions that support its research operations.
In a statement, the university framed the action as a response to falling federal research commitments: "As our federal research portfolio shrinks, the infrastructure around it must change in parallel."
The university has pointed to a sharp decline in its multiyear federal research pipeline. In February, Johns Hopkins reported that "the total outstanding value of our multiyear federal research portfolio had declined by more than $500 million in calendar year 2025." The university added that the decline reflected receiving 43% less in federal research funding and 28% fewer awards than in the prior year.
Facing those reductions, the university said earlier this month it will allocate $60 million annually for the next two years to create a new internal research fund intended to help offset the challenges posed by lower federal research support.
These financial pressures follow a broader pattern of contested federal funding decisions under the Trump administration. The administration has sought cuts to federal support for universities on several grounds, including responses to pro-Palestinian campus protests tied to Israel's assault on Gaza, transgender policies, climate-related initiatives and diversity programs. The university and others have cited those actions as part of the environment that has led to reduced federal awards.
Rights advocates have voiced concerns about the implications of those federal actions for free speech, academic freedom and due process. In some cases, judges have ordered the administration to restore frozen federal funds to universities, underscoring ongoing legal and policy uncertainty.
Johns Hopkins also noted that it previously undertook broader workforce reductions: last year the university said it eliminated more than 2,000 jobs in the U.S. and abroad after some grants were terminated by the federal government. The most recent layoffs, the university said, affect administrative roles tied to its research activities.
The administration has publicly characterized pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations as antisemitic and as supporting extremist groups. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, have countered that the government is wrongly conflating criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and that advocacy for Palestinian rights should not be equated with support for extremism.
What the university says:
- Johns Hopkins reported a decline of more than $500 million in the total outstanding value of its multiyear federal research portfolio in calendar year 2025.
- The university said it received 43% less in federal research funding and obtained 28% fewer awards than in the previous year.
- It will designate $60 million per year for two years to a new research fund to respond to reduced federal research funding.