Recent actions by the Trump administration targeting US universities are reportedly built upon decades of efforts by libertarian donor networks, fossil fuel companies, and conservative thinktanks to reshape university governance and increase external influence, according to a new study.
The authors of the perspective study argue that this erosion of university autonomy has made colleges more susceptible to corporate interests, particularly within climate and energy research. Noel Healy of Salem State University, the lead author, stated that if the industry being regulated can shape research questions, it ultimately shapes policy.
In 2025, the Trump administration reportedly froze billions of dollars in research funding, initiated investigations into 75 institutions, and encouraged colleges to sign agreements supporting administration policies for federal funding. This included the cancellation of $4m in climate research grants at Princeton University, with scientists accused of fueling “climate anxiety.”
The Academic Freedom Index, which assesses the freedom of scholars and universities, indicates that US institutional autonomy declined from 3.3 in 2019 to 1.7 in 2025 on a scale of 0 to 4. Healy noted that since 2025, scientists have reportedly been removing terms like 'climate change' from grant applications due to fears of rejection.
Outside influence on US universities is not a new phenomenon. Electric utilities reportedly collaborated with academics in the 1920s, and fossil fuel companies funded research in the 1950s to create doubt about public health impacts. Between 2010 and 2020, six fossil fuel companies alone reportedly contributed over $700m to US universities.