Columbia University will lay off 180 people after federal funding cuts to research

Columbia University says it will lay off nearly 180 staff members after it lost $400m in federal funding for research after it was accused of not doing enough to crack down on antisemitism on campus.

“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” acting president Claire Shipman said in a statement. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”

Shipman also warned of more impending cuts saying, “In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward.”

The Gaza solidarity movement at Columbia inspired college protests across the US, and students – as well as the university - have been heavily penalized by the Trump administration.