"The Trump administration's "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" continues to make headlines. Nine selective institutions were originally asked to agree to reduce transgender and foreign students' rights and make other changes in exchange for federal funding priority and other unspecified benefits. All of these universities either rejected the compact or gave noncommittal responses, while a few relatively unknown, non-research-intensive institutions have publicly expressed interest in signing."
"And the compact isn't the only way the president can make that shift. Back in August, he issued an executive order directing "senior appointees" to take charge of awarding, or denying, new grants. He also told them to apply certain principles in their award decisions, which could sap money from the top research institutions. "Discretionary grants should be given to a broad range of recipients rather than to a select group of repeat players," the executive order said."
"It also said that "to the extent institutional affiliation is considered in making discretionary awards, agencies should prioritize an institution's commitment to rigorous, reproducible scholarship over its historical reputation or perceived prestige." Federal agencies have yet to reveal how they will implement these parts of the executive order or its other provisions, such as its bans on awarding grants that "promote" racial preferences and "the notion that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic.""
The Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education sought commitments from selective institutions to reduce transgender and foreign students' rights and make other changes in exchange for federal funding priority and unspecified benefits. Most top research universities rejected or gave noncommittal responses, while a few lesser-known, non-research-intensive colleges expressed interest in signing. If elite institutions continue to refuse and up-and-coming colleges sign while the administration rewards signatories, research funding could shift by billions from elite universities to lower-ranked schools. An executive order also directed senior appointees to influence grant awards and urged agencies to favor institutions committed to rigorous, reproducible scholarship over historical reputation or prestige. Agencies have not yet released uniform guidance on implementing the order or its bans on grants that "promote" racial preferences or the idea that sex is mutable, and budget disruptions have delayed guidance.
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