About $200,000 in US funding cut from CDU contract with Indon organisation

Charles Darwin University has become a victim of US President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. Read how.

A research contract valued at about $200,000 has been slashed from Charles Darwin University as part of US President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A research contract valued at about $200,000 has been lost by Charles Darwin University because of US President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.

It was understood CDU had the research contract with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Indonesia, which, at the time, was supported by USAID funding.

The NGO has since had its US funding stopped, resulting in the termination of the research project.

CDU vice-chancellor and president Professor Scott Bowman said the NGO had not provided further information about the nature of the cut or how it would impact the organisation.

Mr Bowman did not answer questions from this masthead concerning who the organisation actually was.

Vice-Chancellor Scott Bowman, Charles Darwin University. Picture: Fia Walsh.

In an interview with ABC Radio on Monday, Mr Bowman said the cuts would not affect any jobs.

“Much of that money would be money-in money-out, which a lot of research is,” he said.

“I don’t sense this will mean any job cuts.”

He also said the cuts were only a small drop in the bucket and would not have a substantial impact on the university.

“We do get many millions of dollars to do research, so as a percentage this is a very small amount,” he said.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with US Ambassadors in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 25, 2025. Picture: Mandel NGAN / AFP

Notably, Mr Bowman said CDU had not received the 36-point questionnaire by the Trump administration, which has been sent to a number of Australian university researchers working on projects jointly funded by US federal agencies.

The surveys they received asked several questions about US government transgender policies, Christianity, and whether the researchers had received funding from China.

It was understood CDU were one of seven Australian universities to be hit by the cuts.

The other six institutions which have had their funding cut are the Australian National University, Monash University, University of Technology Sydney, University of NSW, Macquarie University and UNSW.

Australian universities received about $400 million from US funding in 2024, marking the US as the biggest overseas funder of research in Australia.

Originally published as About $200,000 in US funding cut from CDU contract with Indon organisation