Trump’s Push to Defund Harvard Prompts Clash Over Veteran Suicide Research

The Trump administration’s decision to terminate several federal contracts with Harvard University has ignited internal conflict over the potential impact on critical medical research aimed at supporting veterans. These projects, including those focused on suicide prevention, toxic exposure, and prostate cancer screening, now hang in the balance, as revealed by emails reviewed by The New York Times.

Among the contested agreements is a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) and Harvard Medical School to create a predictive model to help emergency room doctors determine whether suicidal veterans should be admitted for treatment. According to the records, canceling this contract could lead to preventable veteran suicides, warned Seth J. Custer, an official in the V.A.’s Office of Research and Development, in a May 8 email urging the agency’s leadership to reconsider. However, John Figueroa, a senior adviser to Doug Collins, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, argued that other institutions could handle the work instead.

Peter Kasperowicz, a V.A. spokesperson, confirmed that the department’s research contracts with Harvard were under review, aiming to align the projects with the Trump administration’s veterans-first policy. Neither Mr. Custer nor Mr. Figueroa provided further comments, and the White House and Harvard representatives also declined to respond.

The situation illustrates the broader political implications of President Trump’s use of research funding as a bargaining tool in his ongoing pressure campaign against universities. While the administration has targeted Harvard by questioning its admissions, curriculum, and hiring practices, the V.A. has committed to reducing costs by cutting contracts and implementing a sweeping return-to-office mandate, a move spearheaded by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.

Harvard’s president, Alan M. Garber, characterized the funding cuts as part of a broader initiative to undermine scientific research, warning that the consequences could be significant and enduring. The university has since filed a lawsuit to block the cuts, underscoring the profound impact on ongoing research.

The V.A. has already begun the process of terminating six contracts with Harvard, as indicated in a May 7 email from a V.A. employee. She noted that any requests to maintain the contracts would face intense scrutiny and instructed colleagues to initiate termination procedures immediately.

One of the contracts on the chopping block involves evaluating the quality of cancer care provided by non-V.A. health facilities that partner with the department to treat veterans. Custer emphasized the importance of this contract, stating it aligned with both congressional and V.A. leadership priorities.

Another contract in jeopardy focuses on analyzing clinical data, a crucial task that has facilitated veteran access to clinical trials, particularly those advancing precision screening for prostate cancer. Custer described the work as “highly critical” to the V.A.’s mission, stressing that there was “no internal V.A. solution” to replace it.

Dr. Walter Willett, a Harvard professor of epidemiology and nutrition, said he has been collaborating with the V.A. for approximately five years on one of the terminated projects, analyzing dietary data as part of a comprehensive study involving 500,000 veterans. The research aims to identify links between nutrition and chronic diseases.

“This work benefits everyone,” Willett stated. “It’s not about politics, but unfortunately, we’re caught in the middle of it.”enefits everybody,” Dr. Willett said. “It’s not political. But we are being caught up in politics.”