UCPH research project shut down after US withdraws funding

A research project involving researchers from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) has now been shut down as a direct consequence of the culture war playing out more than 6,000 kilometres away in the United States.

US president Donald Trump’s intensified fight against woke ideology at the country’s universities at the beginning of his second term, is now having consequences for Danish researchers also.

Danish news site Berlingske was the first media outlet to report that a UCPH collaborative project, so far unnamed, has lost its US funding.

According to Kim Brinckmann, deputy director for research and information security, several other UCPH projects are also at risk. For the researchers involved, this means stopping their work half way, and uncertainty over their projects future.

Handful of projects at risk

The Trump administration has announced a crackdown on university programmes for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

READ ALSO: Danish researcher in the US feeling the Trump pressure: »Surely, universities should be where we speak freely«

This has direct consequences for research projects that include terms like ‘diversity’, ‘LGBTQ’, or ‘climate’ in their project descriptions. According to the US civil society organisation PEN America, certain words have even ended up on internal lists of terms prohibited in federally funded projects.

We don’t know what this means in the long term. There is a real risk that researchers could be blacklisted or otherwise harassed.

Kim Brinckmann, deputy director for research and information security at UCPH

In response, UCPH has reviewed its portfolio of projects with US co-funding.

»We don’t know the exact number, but it’s around 40 projects funded with US resources. Not all 40 are at risk, but we estimate that a small handful are in danger of being shut down because they deal with topics the Trump administration is targeting,« Kim Brinckmann says to the University Post.

It is still unclear how many and which projects will actually be shut down, but one of them has already received notice. UCPH does not wish to disclose further details out of concern for the researchers involved.

»We don’t know what this means in the long term. There is a real risk that researchers could be blacklisted or otherwise harassed. That’s why we choose to protect them by not revealing their names,« he says.

The projects that are at risk are primarily within the social sciences and health sciences, according to Kim Brinckmann.

Uncertainty leads to doubt and hesitation

It’s not just ongoing projects that are affected. The uncertainty has also cast a shadow over future collaborations.

Some researchers and students are starting to question whether it is a good idea to collaborate with US universities under the current circumstances, according to Kim Brinckmann.

»Can I go on a research stay in the US, or is it too risky? Should I apply for funding from the US, or is it wiser to look elsewhere? It is only natural to have doubts,« he says.

READ ALSO: Danish researcher feels the freedom struggle at US universities

He adds that some researchers are considering whether they should change certain wordings in their applications — for example, avoiding terms like ‘diversity’ or ‘gender’ — out of fear of being rejected.

UCPH is attempting to advise its staff and students as best as possible, but according to Kim Brinckmann, there are limits to what you can keep track of when decisions are being made both by foreign ministries, government officials, and at individual universities.

European collaboration as an alternative

As access to US funding faces the risk of being shut off, discussions have opened up on whether Danish universities should seek new research alliances — particularly within Europe.

»We should not abandon the US. We have deep relationships and long-standing cooperation. But the current situation suggests that we should also look elsewhere,« says Kim Brinckmann, who sees value in a stronger European research focus.

Our fundamental values are not up for negotiation. We stand firm on this, even if it costs us collaborations and funding.

Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science (M)

He points out that several researchers have already begun to look towards the EU or the UK as a response to the growing political pressure in the US.

»Researchers are inherently international in their work. If the framework becomes too narrow in one place, they will look for opportunities elsewhere. In this, Denmark and Europe have the potential to attract both co-operation partners and talented scientists,« he says.

A current example is the initiative Science Hub Denmark, launched by three Danish foundations. The purpose is to promote Denmark as an attractive research destination. And according to Brinckmann, the initiative has already seen increased interest from US researchers.

Strategic shift or temporary crisis?

Whether UCPH will take a strategic turn away from the US is too early to say, Kim Brinckmann emphasises. The university wants to act in coordination with other Danish universities and in line with Danish research policy, which has historically been closely aligned with the US.

READ ALSO: Danish students in the US reflect on visa fears and self-censorship

A new analysis from the Confederation of Danish Industry also shows that the US is the one single country with which authors from Danish universities and organisations co-publish the most scientific articles. This is especially true within the natural, health and technical sciences.

Speaking to the news agency Ritzau, Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund (Moderates Party) describes the collaboration with the US as »extremely important«. But she adds that Denmark will not compromise on academic freedom in order to maintain access to US funding.

»Our fundamental values are not up for negotiation. We stand firm on this, even if it costs us collaborations and funding,« she stated.

READ ALSO: Heading to the US? Check your devices, says rector

According to Kim Brinckmann, institutional and individual research decisions are already starting to move in new directions.

»It’s not certain everything can be controlled centrally. Some developments will happen on their own. Researchers will go where they can best carry out their work under proper conditions. And if that’s no longer the US, then it will be somewhere else,« he says.

When political priorities on one side of the Atlantic have direct consequences for project grants and partnerships on the other, it becomes clear how vulnerable the global research system can be to ideological interference, according to Kim Brinckmann:

»This is the first time we’ve seen the US set such direct political conditions for the types of research it will support. It creates uncertainty — and ultimately, mistrust,« he says.

READ ALSO: Rector’s advice to US-bound staff is insufficient