The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

DOE Issues Indirect Costs Cap, Universities, Higher Ed Organizations Sue
Trump Administration Appeals Federal Judge’s Permanent Injunction in Suit Challenging F&A Cap
Trump Admin Freezes Funds for Cornell, Northwestern, Harvard
Tillis, Cassidy Introduce the DETERRENT Act in Senate

The Highlights 📰

Research

The latest updates on legislation and regulations that impact Duke's research enterprise.

DOE ISSUES INDIRECT COSTS CAP, UNIVERSITIES, HIGHER ED ORGANIZATIONS SUE

A coalition of higher education associations and research universities has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy over a new policy that limits grant funding for indirect costs to 15 percent. The plaintiffs include the American Council on Education (ACE), Brown University and MIT, among others. In a joint statement regarding the lawsuit from ACE, AAU and APLU, they argue, "This action would have an immediate and dire impact on critical energy, physical sciences and engineering research nationwide." The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, contends that the DOE exceeded its authority and violated federal administrative procedures.

Rate Cap

TRUMP ADMIN APPEALS FEDERAL JUDGE'S PERMANENT INJUNCTION IN SUIT CHALLENGING F&A CAP

Last week, the Trump administration appealed a permanent injunction issued by Judge Angel Kelley of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts blocking the implementation, application, or enforcement of the National Institutes of Health’s Feb. 7 supplemental guidance imposing a cap of 15 percent on F&A reimbursements. The government filed its appeal in the 1st United States Circuit Court of Appeals.

Injunction Appeal

Student Aid, Institutional Support and Taxes

The latest updates regarding legislation and regulatory actions related to student aid, higher education institutional support, taxes and more.

NASFAA Student Aid Reference Desk

TRUMP ADMIN FREEZES FUNDS FOR CORNELL, NORTHWESTERN, HARVARD

The Trump administration announced a freeze on $2.3 billion in federal funding for Harvard University after the university rejected a series of provisions on Monday, stating they "violate[s] Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceed the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI."

In related developments, the administration has also frozen $1 billion for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University, citing ongoing investigations into alleged civil rights violations, including the universities' responses to antisemitism on campus. Both Cornell and Northwestern have said they are seeking clarification from federal agencies as they assess the implications of the funding freeze.

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

TILLIS, CASSIDY INTRODUCE DETERRENT ACT IN THE SENATE

Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have introduced the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act in the Senate. The bill is the companion to the one passed by the House last month, with some modifications. The Senate version removes the House bill’s Section 117c, which would require annual investment disclosure reports for certain private universities with endowments over $6 billion.

DETERRENT Act

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