U.S. Department of Transportation Cancels $54 Million in University Grants Related to DEI and Climate Research

On May 2, 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the cancellation of seven university grants totaling $54 million, asserting that they funded diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and environmental initiatives unrelated to core transportation goals. Labeling the projects as wasteful and ideologically driven, Secretary Duffy stated that the Department of Transportation would instead focus on safety and infrastructure. The terminated grants supported research on equitable decarbonization, transportation inequities, mobility for disadvantaged communities, and environmental justice, among other topics, at institutions including UC Davis, City College of New York, USC, NYU, San Jose State, University of New Orleans, and Johns Hopkins University.