Leading Research Universities Report

Financial and other pressures are mounting on research universities across the nation as the government shutdown drags on into its fourth week.

The White House invited eight universities to come to a meeting on October 17 to “gather input and feedback” on the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”

AAU has joined a lawsuit filed by the United States Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the administration’s $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions.

The Nobel Prizes for 2025 have been announced, and many of the laureates this year have ties to AAU institutions.

United for Medical Research has launched a new project telling the stories of patients, families, scientists, and researchers who have been touched by medical breakthroughs made possible by the National Institutes of Health.

The 2025 class of MacArthur Fellows consists of 22 accomplished individuals, including 12 faculty members from AAU universities.

The United States Chamber of Commerce recently urged the Trump administration to rescind the president’s September 19 proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions.

Last week, AAU submitted a comment letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to withdraw a proposed rule that would make it harder for international students to complete their degree programs in the United States, obtain practical work experience upon graduation, or to transfer to another program or degree level.

A government shutdown went into effect on October 1, with no end in sight. Government shutdowns have serious negative consequences for the American people, including for the nation’s higher education and scientific research enterprise.

The Student Aid Alliance, a coalition of more than 40 higher education organizations, recently hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to highlight the urgent need to protect and strengthen federal student aid programs at a time when their future is increasingly uncertain.