The U.S. government has appealed a Boston federal court decision that blocked the Trump administration from terminating about $2.2 billion in research grants to Harvard. The appeal was filed just before a 60-day deadline and will be heard by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. Harvard sued after the administration canceled hundreds of grants, saying the university failed to adequately address harassment of Jewish students on campus.
U.S. Appeals Ruling That Blocked $2.2B in Harvard Research Grant Cuts; Case Headed to 1st Circuit
Students walk on campus at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (Reuters) — The U.S. government filed an appeal on Thursday against a federal court ruling that found the Trump administration unlawfully terminated roughly $2.2 billion in research grants awarded to Harvard University. The appeal notice was filed just before a 60-day deadline and asks the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to review the case.
In September, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston blocked the administration from cutting off the grant funding, a decision that represented a significant legal victory for Harvard. The ruling effectively prevented the government from immediately suspending research awards while the dispute is resolved.
Harvard, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, became a focal point in the administration’s broader effort to use federal funding as leverage to press universities to address campus conduct and alleged ideological problems. The administration canceled hundreds of grants to Harvard researchers, saying the university had not done enough to address harassment of Jewish students on campus. Harvard responded by suing to protect its funding.
The appeal will be argued before the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. The outcome could shape how federal agencies may condition or withdraw research funding from universities in response to campus conduct and policy disputes. (Reporting by Nate Raymond and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
