Northwestern president resigns as Trump freezes $790 million in research funding

Northwestern University President MSMichael Schill resigned on Sep. 4, 2025, after the Trump administration froze $790 million in federal research funding since Apr. 2025. Trump's funding freeze forced the university to eliminate 425 positions and implement hiring freezes. Schill acknowledged "difficult problems at the federal level" in his resignation letter, making clear the federal pressure drove his departure.

The Trump administration weaponizes antisemitism investigations to target elite universities that don't toe the political line. Northwestern faced federal scrutiny over campus protests and diversity programs, with the funding freeze serving as financial punishment for opposing Trump policies. Federal Judge ABAllison Burroughs ruled a similar Harvard funding freeze illegal on Sep. 3, 2025, but Trump continues the practice across multiple universities.

The $790 million represents critical research funding for medical research, engineering projects, and scientific studies that advance American competitiveness. Trump's freeze eliminates cancer research, climate studies, and technology development while forcing universities to choose between academic freedom and financial survival. Northwestern spent $30-40 million monthly (approximately $7-10 million weekly) keeping research afloat with emergency reserves during the freeze. The eliminated 425 positions include researchers, professors, and support staff whose work benefits society.

Other elite universities face similar federal pressure as Trump uses research funding as a political weapon. Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and Cornell have all seen funding threats over campus policies and leadership decisions that Trump opposes. Northwestern ultimately agreed to a $75 million settlement with the Trump administration in Nov. 2025 to restore frozen funding. The strategy forces university administrators to choose between maintaining academic independence and keeping federal money that supports groundbreaking research.

Schill's resignation signals that even prestigious university presidents cannot withstand coordinated federal financial pressure. His departure after acknowledging "federal level" problems shows how Trump's funding freezes achieve their intended goal of forcing leadership changes. The pattern includes CGClaudine Gay (Harvard, resigned Jan. 2, 2024) and KAKatrina Armstrong (Columbia, resigned Mar. 28, 2025), demonstrating systematic targeting of university leadership who oppose Trump administration demands.