Harvard-MIT affiliated Broad Institute lays off 75 employees amid Trump administration’s research funding cuts

The Broad Institute, one of the world’s leading biomedical research centres affiliated with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has laid off 75 employees and implemented extensive cost-cutting measures in response to ongoing federal budget rollbacks under the Trump administration.

This development is part of a wider pattern of reductions in US government support for science, research, and higher education.Since returning to office, the Trump administration has repeatedly proposed steep cuts to federal agencies that fund scientific research. These include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among others.

In recent years, the administration has also blocked certain research grants, limited funding for public health programs, and even moved to restrict research that conflicts with political priorities.

Institutions such as Harvard have faced targeted cuts, and research groups across the country are reporting delays in grant processing and increased uncertainty around long-term funding.

A strategic response to financial uncertainty

Against this backdrop, the Broad Institute’s decision to lay off 75 employees was announced internally at the end of June.

The move affects roughly 4 percent of its workforce. Most of the affected roles were administrative, but the layoffs also included researchers and staff from two major scientific divisions: the Data Sciences Platform and the Center for the Development of Therapeutics.The cost-cutting initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce the institute’s operating expenses by approximately $42 million, or about 5 percent of its total annual budget.

The Broad has long relied on robust federal support, including more than $150 million in NIH funding last year alone. With that support now under pressure, the institute has taken what it describes as precautionary steps to stabilize its finances.

Deeper institutional cuts

Beyond staff reductions, the Broad has scaled back non-personnel expenditures across the board. High-salaried employees will see capped wage increases, and supplemental retirement contributions, historically offered as an additional winter benefit, have been paused.

The institute has also ended subsidies for employee parking, childcare, and food services, along with funding for internal staff development initiatives, affinity groups, and its annual scientific retreat.Other cost-saving measures include canceling institutional subscriptions to major publications like The New York Times and The Boston Globe, citing low usage among staff. While the institute continues to match employee contributions to retirement accounts up to 6 percent, additional seasonal contributions have been suspended for the foreseeable future.

What’s next for scientific research?

While the Broad Institute has reiterated its continued commitment to advancing biomedical innovation, the changes reflect a deeper unease within the US research ecosystem. As federal support becomes less reliable, research centers, even those with world-class reputations, are being forced to reevaluate staffing, benefits, and research priorities.For students, postdocs, and early-career researchers, the situation raises critical concerns about job security, funding access, and long-term prospects in academic and applied research.

With fewer grants and a shrinking pool of resources, the competition for opportunities is intensifying across the board.

The Broad Institute’s restructuring may be one of the most visible consequences of the current funding climate, but it is unlikely to be the last. As science and education funding continue to face political headwinds, institutions across the country may need to find new ways to sustain research, or risk falling behind in an increasingly global race for innovation.