Updates on federal actions impacting Brown — and how you can help

sdwesterfield
Jul 16
3 min read

Following is an edited copy of a letter sent out July 14th by Brown VP of Alumni Relations, Zack Langway to Brown alumni

Brunonian Advocacy

July 2025

I am writing to you today to invite you to join a dedicated mailing list where you will receive future updates on issues confronting the University.

Since President Christina H. Paxson’s email in April, multiple federal actions continue to impact Brown’s core mission.

At Brown, we remain committed to safeguarding the vital research and scholarship that defines our university, championing the groundbreaking discoveries that continue to improve lives around the world, and upholding the intellectual freedom that allows the essential exchange of ideas to flourish. As alumni, we also know firsthand the incredible impact that Brown has had on us personally as we’ve journeyed beyond College Hill. To ensure that this legacy continues, we need your help.

Please take a moment to read over the following key updates, University actions, and ways you can support Brown now.

Key updates

Since April 3, the government has (with no formal explanation) stopped paying bills on existing Brown grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which account for over 70% of the University's federal research funding.
These lost funds totaled $45 million as of June 30, a number increasing by about $3.5 million per week. This loss is more than three times our budgeted increase in student financial aid and support.
The recently passed budget bill will likely have a significant impact on higher education. We are currently assessing the full implications for Brown.

University actions

Brown is addressing the ongoing challenges on many fronts.

The University continues to appeal the termination of research grants.
Brown has participated in several legal actions opposing funding cuts, and we will continue considering litigation options when prudent and appropriate. For more details on this, please see “Resources and Recent News” below, and the Brunonian Advocacy page.
We are coordinating strategies across our departments of government relations, communications, and constituency engagement, as well as working in close collaboration with our educational associations and peer institutions on joint advocacy efforts.
We have secured a $300 million term loan to help the University manage its finances and priorities as we plan for a wide range of scenarios, and we are currently assessing other debt options to increase our liquidity even further.

What you can do

We need your help to protect Brown’s legacy, and the time to act is now.

Spread the word: Share this letter with fellow alums and encourage them to sign up for these updates. This moment calls on our entire Brunonian family to lend their support.
Call or email your members of Congress: A simple call or email urging them to defend federal funding for research at colleges and universities can have a powerful impact.
Contact your U.S. House Representative

Contact your U.S. Senator
Support The Brown Fund: Your gift provides critical, immediate-use resources that allow Brown to adapt and thrive amidst these challenges.
Make a gift
Directly empower groundbreaking research: Consider a gift to our new Research Resilience Fund. This fund offers direct, operational support for essential Brown research and scholarship facing delays or disruptions due to current instabilities in federal funding. It’s a way to ensure our brilliant minds can continue their vital work.
Make a gift

We look forward to sharing more information as it becomes available. Thank you for your unwavering support of Brown. Together, we can ensure our beloved university continues its mission as a leading research institution dedicated to serving communities, the nation, and the world.

Ever True,Zack Langway ’09Vice President for Alumni Relations