The National Science Foundation has lifted its freeze on new grant funding for Duke, Harvard, and Yale Universities, nearly two months after imposing restrictions on those institutions and Princeton University. Inside Higher Ed reported that the reversal took effect on May 28, one day after Nature disclosed the funding pause, leaving Princeton as the sole institution still subject to the hold. The NSF had marked the four universities’ accounts with the notice “Future Awards to Organization on Hold” on April 9, as documented in an agency database obtained by Nature . The funding restrictions had sharply reduced new grant allocations to the affected institutions. In 2024, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale collectively received 218 new NSF grants, but this fiscal year, they secured only 13 prior to April 9, with no new awards issued to Duke or Harvard researchers afterward, according to Inside Higher Ed . The NSF’s Office of Award Management paused 33 proposals from the four universities, delaying their processing for an average of 91 days—far exceeding the typical 10 day timeline. While the agency has not explained the rationale behind the freeze or its partial reversal, NSF staff confirmed to Nature that “a few grants” have since been released to researchers at Harvard and Duke. The freeze occurred amid broader federal scrutiny of research funding under the Trump administration, which has previously targeted institutions over alleged violations of anti discrimination policies. Last year, Harvard faced termination of roughly 75% of its NSF research grants before reaching a settlement, as Nature reported. The NSF, which manages an annual budget of 8.8 billion dollars, has declined to comment on the specific reasons for the restrictions or their uneven reversal. Princeton remains the only institution still subject to the funding hold, with no timeline provided for resolving the restriction. Meanwhile, researchers at Duke and Harvard have begun receiving delayed grants, though the NSF has not clarified the criteria used to select the affected institutions or the conditions for lifting the remaining hold. The agency’s silence leaves researchers uncertain about the stability of future funding. Related discussions on PandaInUniv: White House proposes 55% cut to NSF budget for FY2027 NIH budget cut proposal: USD 5 billion reduction to USD 41 billion 28% of NIH funded researchers laid off staff, 67% advised students to leave academia