MIT Alumni for Science

Background

Funding Cuts

Current and pending cuts and freezes in funding for federal research agencies threaten U.S. leadership in science and technology—and are already doing damage to the strength of institutions like MIT and its peers. In early 2025, the U.S. federal government cut research funding for institutions like MIT by capping the National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation reimbursement rates for indirect costs at 15%, relative to previously negotiated average rates of 27-28%. Not only do these actions drastically affect scientific and medical progress, they also impact student research opportunities at MIT.

Endowment Tax

The U.S. Congress is also considering a dramatic increase in taxation on endowment income of the Institute and other schools, with taxation proposals currently between 8-21%. If approved, this tax would strip critical funding for student aid and for research and innovation that leads to national security, health, and prosperity. Congress is also reviewing a U.S. federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 with dramatic reductions for science funding, which MIT labs and research centers rely on for advancing the basic and applied science that power innovations in health, security, and countless other fields.

Who we are

We are a growing, non-partisan, independent community of MIT grads working to bring together alumni across the country to support MIT and make the case for the role America's colleges and universities play in powering innovation, scientific breakthroughs, and economic growth.

We gather at a time when MIT’s mission “to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other fields to serve the nation and the world” is under threat. Drawing inspiration from alumni groups at other universities, we aspire to build a grassroots community to support MIT and its peers and to advocate for the vital contributions these institutions make to research and education for the betterment of the U.S. and the world.

MIT Alumni for Science was founded by MIT alumni and is independent of the university.

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What MIT Is Doing

MIT has already taken wide ranging action to weather financial disruptions and advocate for its ability to continue its mission, including:

Joining peer institutions and organizations in filing suits in federal court seeking to block funding cuts by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense, respectively
Instituting 5-10% budget cuts across academic and administrative offices, a hiring freeze on positions, and reducing the number of admitted graduate students for the 2025-2026 academic year
With peer institutions, filing an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in Harvard University’s lawsuit in relation to elimination of all grant funding it receives from the US government

This list of actions will continue to grow, and as committed alumni of MIT, we seek to do our part to stand by MIT – an institution that has made such an enormous impact on our lives as alumni, not to mention its impact on the U.S. and the world.

How you can help

Learn More

Read MIT President Sally Kornbluth’s latest call to action
Learn more about MIT’s contributions to U.S. health, security, and competitiveness and to global innovation: https://understanding.mit.edu/
Keep up to date on how MIT is responding to the federal government’s actions: https://www.mit.edu/response-government-activity/
Stay connected with the request for alumni support from MIT: https://web.mit.edu/stand-up-for-mit/
Learn more about alum and advocacy efforts at peer institutions: Brown, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Princeton, University of California, Washington, Wisconsin, Yale

Take Action

Answer MIT's call for support in reaching out to U.S. Congress leaders
- Sample Messaging (Alumni Infinite Connection login required)
- Contact Information: House of Representatives, Senate, Embassies/Consulates
Join the MIT Legislative Advocacy email list to stay up to date on the Institute’s legislative priorities (Alumni Infinite Connection login required): https://alum.mit.edu/lan/user/update
Consider an unrestricted donation and/or a donation to fund scholarships and fellowships to help MIT navigate funding challenges: https://web.mit.edu/stand-up-for-mit/
Volunteer with MIT Alumni for Science