Crucial U.S. Funding in Jeopardy for Australia's Top Researchers

Australia's leading universities raise alarm over the U.S. government's funding cuts and compliance demands related to Trump administration policies. Researchers may need to align with U.S. interests, risking crucial collaborations, particularly in medical and defense research. Affected universities seek urgent guidance and intervention from both U.S. and Australian governments.

Australia's top universities expressed grave concerns on Thursday over recent funding decisions by the U.S., which have cut financial support for some researchers and imposed compliance requirements on others seeking alignment with American interests.

The Group of Eight, a consortium of Australia's leading research universities, warns that the move could endanger critical medical and defense research collaborations. Researchers are being asked to complete a 36-point questionnaire evaluating their compliance with policies set by the Trump administration.

The questionnaire probes areas like diversity and inclusion, which are targeted for elimination by the Trump administration, and imposes a tight 48-hour deadline for responses. The Group of Eight has reached out to both the Australian government for intervention and the U.S. government for extended time to respond.

(With inputs from agencies.)