Boston University, Broad Institute among higher ed institutions cutting staff, citing federal funding cuts

Boston University is laying off 120 employees as it cuts its budget by about 5% for the next year. That follows the layoff of 75 employees at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard at the end of last month.

A number of higher education institutions in the area have announced layoffs and other spending reductions since President Trump began enacting funding cuts and suggesting other measures that would force universities to re-imagine their revenue models.

Last month, Harvard's Kennedy School and Chan School of Public Health announced layoffs. The Chan School, which is heavily reliant on federal and outside funds, had already announced a round of layoffs in April, as did Harvard Medical School. UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester also laid off or furloughed 200 employees earlier this year.

In an email announcement to the university community on Monday, BU president Melissa Gilliam said federal actions and funding cuts are affecting research and day-to-day operations.

"As we take part in a national renegotiation of how the country’s higher education model will be funded, universities face other pressures such as rising inflation, changing demographics, declining graduate enrollment, and the need to adapt to new technologies," she said.

Laid off employees are being given a 30-day notice. BU spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg said she was unable to provide specifics about what departments are affected.

She said that, in addition to the layoffs, BU would eliminate 120 open positions. In total, Gilliam said this affects about 1% of the university's workforce. BU's budget is roughly $2.5 billion.

The Trump administration has slashed grants awarded to research institutions from the National Institutes of Health. Massachusetts alone has seen $1.2 billion in grants terminated, according to data reviewed by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Universities are also bracing for a potential decline in international student enrollment as the Trump administration has targeted student visas. Nearly a third of Boston University's full-time graduate and undergraduate students come from outside the United States. Northeastern, Clark in Worcester, MIT and Harvard also have high numbers of international students.

Editor's Note: Boston University owns WBUR's broadcast license. WBUR is editorially independent and station staff have not been affected by BU's layoffs.