Trump Administration Cuts Princeton Funding to Study Climate Change - The New York Times

Key Points

The Trump administration announced cuts of almost $4 million in federal funding for climate change research at Princeton University. The Commerce Department, home to NOAA, justified the cuts by claiming the research promoted "exaggerated and implausible climate threats" and increased "climate anxiety" among young people.

Details of the Cuts

The cuts affected programs studying sea-level rise and coastal flooding. This follows earlier actions where federal agencies paused dozens of research grants at Princeton. While NOAA spends approximately $220 million annually on climate research, the Trump administration indicated plans to reduce this funding.

Impact on Specific Programs

• Funding was cut for the Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES), a collaboration between NOAA and Princeton, focused on improving climate models. CIMES notably includes Syukuro Manabe, a 2021 Nobel laureate in Physics for his climate modeling work.
• The administration also ceased funding for CIMES' educational initiatives aimed at K-12 students.

Administration's Justification

The Commerce Department stated that the collaboration promoted exaggerated threats and contributed to "climate anxiety." This rationale formed the basis for eliminating both the research and educational aspects of the funded programs.