Universities That Took Financial Beating Fighting Trump Get Taxpayer-Funded Handout

Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced an initiative on Thursday to advance research in the state amid federal funding cuts to universities.

Healey is proposing legislation alongside the Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Initiative, which would funnel $200 million into a reserve for public universities in the state to cover direct and indirect research costs and “preserve and hire positions in research and teaching,” according to the press release. An additional $200 million will be placed in a funding pool to support research at hospitals, universities and other institutions.

“Massachusetts is the global leader in innovative research and the discovery of lifesaving cures,” Healey said in the announcement. “Research funding is also foundational to the Massachusetts economy – it’s economic infrastructure here. This bill is about creating jobs across industries from construction and food services to health care and 🎓Education. And in the face of uncertainty from the federal government, this is about protecting one of the things that makes Massachusetts so special – our global leadership in health care and helping families across the world.”

Several federal agencies under the Trump administration have capped indirect research funding rates to limit the amount of taxpayer funds going towards unspecified, non-research expenses, such as administrative costs. The move has been met with lawsuits from universities and teachers’ associations.

Many universities have responded to the cuts with