Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has laid off 110 employees as it continues to grapple with declining federal funding, university officials said. The latest cuts follow the elimination of more than 2,200 positions last year.
In June 2025, the university also announced a hiring freeze and paused annual pay increases, citing funding uncertainty. The latest layoffs primarily affected administrative staff, and university officials said the job cuts were a measure of last resort.
“As our federal research portfolio shrinks, the infrastructure around it must change in parallel,” the university leaders said in a statement. “Last year, we implemented significant cost-management initiatives, including a hiring freeze, pausing annual increases for anyone making over $80,000, reducing discretionary spending, eliminating vacant positions, and reducing our five-year capital project spending by 20%.”
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According to CBS News, layoffs were conducted in the university in March too, impacting workers in 44 countries. This came after a loss of more than $800 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The university is one of the top recipients of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for research institutions, which had been cut by the Trump administration.
The university officials said 90 grants had ended, leading to a loss of $50 million in federal research funding in June 2025. JHU said that, alongside the hiring freeze and pause in pay increases, it was implementing strategies to address its financial challenges.
In February, JHU said the total outstanding value of our multiyear federal research portfolio had declined by more than $500 million in calendar year 2025. “This was due in part to our receiving 43% less in federal research funding and 28% fewer awards than in the previous year,” it added.
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Earlier this month, the university said it was designating $60 million annually for the next two years for a new research fund due to challenges from reductions in federal research funding.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration had attempted to cut federal funds for universities over a range of issues. These include pro-Palestinian protests and advocacy, transgender policies, climate initiatives and diversity programs. Rights advocates have raised concerns about free speech, academic freedom, and due process. In several cases, judges have ordered the Trump administration to restore federal funding that had been frozen for universities.