Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts announced on Thursday a plan to provide $400 million to support research projects at universities and colleges in the state, in what appeared to be a response to the Trump administration’s moves to cut federal funding in higher education.
The money, which must be approved by the State Legislature, would be aimed at retaining and creating jobs in research and development. In the Boston area especially, colleges and teaching hospitals that have fueled technological and biomedical advances over decades are cornerstones to the city’s economy and identity.
The governor’s office cited a report by the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts that found that federal research funding in the state supported more than 81,000 jobs. Massachusetts is also home to one of every 10 jobs in research and development in the country, the governor’s office said.
The Trump administration has sought to strip billions in research funding from schools in the state and around the country, including Harvard, in Cambridge, Mass., as part of what it says is a campaign against antisemitism. The White House has also sought to withhold federal money as a way to correct what it sees as a higher education system that is hostile to conservatives.
Harvard has fought back on funding cuts in court, with a decision still pending, while some other schools have joined lawsuits brought by separate groups or reached deals with the administration that would free up the money.
Ms. Healey, a Democrat, did not mention Harvard by name in a statement announcing the plan but made a reference to what prompted it. “In the face of uncertainty from the federal government, this is about protecting one of the things that makes Massachusetts so special,” she said, adding that the state was a global leader in “innovative research and the discovery of lifesaving cures.”
Under Ms. Healey’s plan, $200 million would go directly toward supporting research projects at hospitals, universities and independent research institutions. The other $200 million would help cover the costs of research, partnerships and joint ventures at public universities.
Jenna Russell contributed reporting.
Chris Hippensteel is a reporter covering breaking news and a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.
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