Trump Administration Threatens Harvard with Patent Seizure and Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Federal Research Grants
The administration of U.S.
President Donald Trump has issued serious accusations against Harvard University, threatening to revoke its patent rights and potentially cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding.
This development follows an official letter sent by the U.S.
Department of Commerce to Harvard President Alan Garber on August 8.
The letter claims that the university has failed to meet its obligations to American taxpayers under the Bayh-Dole Act, which governs the use of federal research grants.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnik emphasized that Harvard must demonstrate compliance with these legal requirements by September 5.
Failure to do so could result in the government seizing patents or licensing them to third parties, which could significantly impact the institution’s capacity for innovation.
Harvard representatives criticized this move as an “unprecedented repressive attack,” affirming their commitment to adhere to the law and protect their rights and freedoms to conduct federally funded research.
This decision is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to exert pressure on top American universities, freezing over $2 billion in federal funding while negotiations for settlements continue.
This incident marks the first case where the Department of Commerce and patent law are being used as tools of pressure against Harvard and other leading institutions.
The background of this controversy traces back to March, when reports surfaced about the administration’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism at Harvard, with potential consequences including the suspension of up to $9 billion in federal funding.
In April, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the government, accusing the administration of arbitrary actions aimed at reducing research funding and restricting foreign student enrollment to punish the university for defending its constitutional rights.
These measures raise critical questions about the future of federal support for higher education in the United States and how political decisions influence academic and scientific progress in the country.