NEW YORK: Northwestern University has agreed to pay $75 million to the US govt in a deal with the Trump administration to end a series of investigations and restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding.President Trump’s administration had cut off $790 million in grants in a standoff that contributed to university layoffs and the resignation in Sept of Northwestern president Michael Schill.The administration argued the school had not done enough to fight antisemitism.
Under the agreement announced Friday night, Northwestern will make the payment to the US Treasury over the next three years. Among other commitments it also requires the university to revoke the so-called Deering Meadow agreement, which it signed in April 2024 in exchange for pro-Palestinian protesters ending their tent encampment on campus. During negotiations, interim university president Henry Bienen said Northwestern refused to cede control over hiring, admissions, and curriculum.
