Universities sue over Energy Department research funding cuts

A group of universities — including Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — and education groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to halt the Energy Department's cuts to federal research grants.

A group of universities — including Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — and education groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to halt the Energy Department's cuts to federal research grants.

Last week, the Energy Department announced a new policy to reduce the funding of "indirect costs" of research grants to 15%.

The plaintiffs argue such cuts will "devastate scientific research at America’s universities" and "undermine" the nation’s status as a global leader in innovation. 

Pedestrians walk though MIT's campus in Cambridge, Mass.Erin Clark / Boston Globe via Getty Images"The pace of scientific discoveries in the national interest will be slowed," the lawsuit says. "Progress on a safe and effective nuclear deterrent, novel energy sources, and cures for debilitating and life-threatening illness will be obstructed. America’s rivals will celebrate, even as science and industry in the United States suffer."

The suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, claims that the policy change is unlawful and that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act. It seeks an injunction.