Department of Commerce announces the end of $4 million in funding of climate risk projects at Princeton

The Department of Commerce (DOC) announced on Tuesday that it would be ending approximately $4 million in funding for climate change research at Princeton related to climate risks. The announcement characterized the climate research at the University as “narratives” and said the programs were “no longer in keeping with the Trump Administration’s priorities.” The funding for these programs will end June 30, 2025.

These funding cuts come in the wake of dozens of suspended grants from several federal agencies last week, including the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Defense Department, due to an ongoing investigation of antisemitism on campus. Also on Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the freezing of $1 billion worth of funding to Cornell University and $790 million to Northwestern University amid civil rights investigations.

According to the announcement, the end to these awards will “streamline and reduce the cost and size of the Federal Government, consistent with President Trump’s promise for his Administration.”

The programs affected are cooperative agreements between the DOC and the University. Unlike grants, the DOC views these agreements as a partnership, with the recipient providing expertise for the activities and the DOC providing financial assistance and involvement as appropriate.

The first program identified by the DOC is the Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES), whose mission is “to address key questions related to climate science and earth system modeling, providing a bridge between NOAA-GFDL and Princeton University and the wider academic community.” The GFDL (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory) is located on the University’s Forrestal Campus, and is supported in part by funding from NOAA — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — part of the DOC.

The DOC argues the program “promotes exaggerated and implausible climate threats.” NOAA previously awarded CIMES $40 million over five years, beginning in 2018. In 2024, the DOC and the NOAA announced $22.78 million in funding to NOAA labs, including over $1.3 million specifically to CIMES.

The second project impacted by the DOC cuts is a research project by geosciences professor Stephan Andreas Fueglistaler. The project began on July 1, 2023, and is slated to end on June 30, 2027. According to the announcement, this research suggests the water availability on earth will fluctuate due to global warming, which “does not align with the priorities of this Administration and such time and resources can be better utilized elsewhere.”

The final project is also a project by Fueglistaler, and is funded for the same dates. This project, the DOC says, studies changes to precipitation and sea-level rise in the context of climate change risks. The Department argues more targeted efforts are ongoing and this research has a high cost, “diverting resources from more practical and cost-effective solutions.”

The University and Fueglistaler did not respond to requests for comment before publication.

Andrew Bosworth is the Research Editor for the ‘Prince.’

Luke Grippo is a senior News writer and Features contributor for the ‘Prince.’ He is from South Jersey and usually covers administrative issues, including Undergraduate Student Government, the Council of the Princeton University Community, and institutional legacy.

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