Universities are scrambling after receiving a survey on their ideological stance.
The Australian National University has reportedly become one of the first local institutions to lose U.S. research funding amid a DOGE-driven campaign to drastically cut U.S. government spending.
Australian universities may receive funding if they’re partnering with U.S. institutions on research projects.
Weeks earlier, tertiary institutions received a survey of 36 questions covering topics like diversity, equity, whether they had received funding from China or Russia, and if they had taken part in “Christian persecution.”
Some other questions in the survey—obtained by media outlets—include:
- Does the project encourage partners to adopt policies and take action to respect their national sovereignty and culture, strengthen patriotic values, and reduce dependence on external institutions?
- Does your organisation encourage free speech and encourage open debate and free sharing of information?
- Can you confirm that your organisation does not work with entities associated with communist, socialist, or totalitarian parties, or any party that espouses anti-American beliefs?
- Can you confirm that your organization has not received ANY funding from the [People’s Republic of China] (including Confucius Institutes and/or partnered with Chinese state or non-state actors), Russia, Cuba, or Iran?
- Can you confirm this is not a climate or “environmental justice” project or include such elements?
According to estimates from the Australian Academy of Science, the United States’ contributed $386 million (US$243 million) to the nation’s academic research in 2024—making it Australia’s biggest research partner.
The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been on a crusade to find efficiencies and cut spending in the U.S. government, which is currently dealing with a US$1 trillion deficit each year—larger than the defence budget.
The ANU has also received scrutiny for its response to pro-Palestine encampments on its grounds.
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Response from Stakeholders
In response to ANU losing its funding the National Tertiary Education Union said people were “very disturbed” by the Trump administration’s decision.
“Ideology should not influence what forms of research we invest in,” said National President Alison Barnes.
While the leading Group of Eight, which collects about 70 percent of total U.S. academic funding, also opposed the move.
“At the moment it is relatively small projects that have been targeted,” CEO Vicki Thomson said.
“Some of these research projects are two, three, four years in,” she said.
“Now we are getting these questions which go beyond the traditional scope … using terms like ‘anti-American beliefs’ and ’policies contrary to American interest.’”
ANU and Education Minister Jason Clare was contacted for comment.
