Harvard University announced Wednesday that it will commit $250 million of its own funds to support researchers after the Trump administration froze nearly $3 billion in federal grants and contracts, escalating a broader standoff over academic freedom and ideological control in higher education.

The funding move comes as the Ivy League institution pursues legal action against the administration, arguing the grant freeze is an unconstitutional attempt to punish the university for rejecting political interference. The majority of the frozen funds were earmarked for medical and scientific research.

Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber and Provost John Manning said in a joint statement that the administration’s actions jeopardize critical research efforts and could cause long-term damage to the broader scientific community. “This is an extraordinarily challenging time for research institutions nationwide,” they said.

The university confirmed that Garber will take a voluntary 25% pay reduction beginning in July as part of wider cost-containment efforts, which also include a hiring freeze. While the $250 million reserve will help sustain ongoing projects, university officials noted it would not fully compensate for the scale of the federal funding losses.

The grant freeze was announced just hours after Garber publicly rejected a series of demands from the Trump administration, which sought sweeping changes to Harvard’s leadership structure, curriculum, admissions practices, and campus oversight policies. Trump has accused elite universities like Harvard of promoting “radical left,” Marxist ideologies and has openly criticized the school for hiring Democratic figures in prominent roles.

The administration also cited Harvard’s race-conscious admissions policies—currently under scrutiny since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling—as well as its response to pro-Palestinian campus protests, which Trump has linked to a broader surge in antisemitism. Harvard has defended its policies as compliant with federal law and reaffirmed its commitment to combating all forms of hate and discrimination.

Harvard filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston, challenging the legality of the grant suspension. A judge has ordered the government to respond by June 9, with a hearing scheduled for July 21.