DOE admits termination of 284 research grants tied to states that voted for President Trump in 2024
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Court filings show the Department of Energy cancelled 284 federal research grants because the projects were located in states that supported President Trump in the 2024 election, a decision the agency says was not based on programmatic criteria.
The Department of Energy (DOE) acknowledged in a recent court filing that it cancelled 284 federal research grants after an Office of Management and Budget review identified them for termination. The grants were selected because the recipient institutions or project sites were located in states that voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election and had two Republican-caucusing senators, the filing states.
Jeff Novak, the DOE’s principal deputy general counsel, wrote that the decision was not based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor. He added that the agency did not consider the political affiliation of downstream beneficiaries of the grant funds.
The filing was part of a lawsuit filed by University of California researchers challenging the cancellations. The DOE’s press secretary, Ben Dietderich, said the agency’s filings do not show that the terminations were politically motivated and that “none of the termination decisions were based on political considerations.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright also denied that politics played a role in the grant decisions during a House Science Committee hearing.
The 284 cancelled grants are among a broader set of more than 2,300 DOE financial assistance awards, of which 624 were marked for termination or cancellation. The remaining 340 grants proposed for termination were not cancelled.
The Office of Management and Budget is also proposing a rule that would give political appointees greater authority to review and potentially terminate federal grants, arguing the change would align funding with presidential priorities and improve oversight.