British Universities Receiving US Funding Asked By Trump To Fill Out Diversity Surveys

3 min read03 April

Exclusive: Universities receiving funding from the United States are being asked by the Donald Trump administration to fill out surveys on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The surveys ask researchers at UK institutions to confirm that projects they are working on are not a DEI project or contain elements of DEI, several higher education figures have told PoliticsHome.

Researchers are also being asked to confirm that their organisation has not received any funding from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, Cuba or Iran.

The US administration has also sent similar questionnaires to universities in Australia and the European Union, according to reports.

A government spokesperson told PoliticsHome: "The conditions set by the US government on its grant funding are entirely its prerogative. Universities in the UK are independent."

While UK universities are not directly funded by the US, individual projects can receive funding from US agencies.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched a crackdown on diversity practices in US workplaces.

The president has signed several executive orders seeking to ban diversity practices across the federal government, educational institutions and private companies.

Those working in the higher education sector have said the policy was already leading to US universities halting related research, cancelling conferences and closing DEI offices.

British universities are being asked to complete surveys by the Trump administration as the UK higher education sector faces severe financial pressures.

Many institutions are cutting courses and staff in response to a financial crisis caused by rising costs, alongside a fall in income from overseas students and the freezing of tuition fees.

Labour MP Helen Hayes, chair of the education select committee, warned that the higher education sector was approaching a "crunch point" in a recent interview with PoliticsHome.

Earlier this year, the chief diversity officer at the University of Oxford said UK universities should push back against "culture war excesses" from the US.

While there is concern about the impact of Trump's policies on UK higher education, sector figures have said his return to power could result in a recruitment boost for the British sector if students and staff decide to leave the US.

A former universities minister told PoliticsHome earlier this year that the higher education sector in the UK should "take every advantage" in competition for international students if Trump's election victory triggered a surge in young Americans looking to study abroad.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds announced on Thursday that the government would consult on possible retaliation after Trump announced 10 per cent tariffs on all UK imports.

The government had hoped to avoid being impacted by the US president's "liberation day" policy of imposing tariffs on imports from around the world by signing a new UK-US economic deal.

However, this did not materalise, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer admitting this morning that Trump's decision would have an "economic impact" on British businesses.

Reynolds said that if an economic deal is agreed with the US that lifts the tariffs, "request for input" on any consultations on retaliatory tariffs from the UK would be "paused".