Deans at the Graduate School of Business (GSB), Stanford Medicine and the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) were directed to model budget cuts in their schools. H&S Dean Debra Satz requested that H&S program directors and chairs model the effects of “significant” budget cuts in their divisions in a Tuesday email obtained by The Daily.
The email stated that Satz and others in Stanford’s seven schools had been asked by Provost Jenny Martinez to model budget cuts and submit “high-level plans” for their implementation. H&S’s planning exercise involves modeling a 10% and 15% cut to general funds and a 10% cut to endowment funds.
Graduate School of Business (GSB) Dean Peter DeMarzo wrote in an email to the Daily that the GSB “received the same guidance as other units on campus.”
Stanford Medicine Chief Communications Officer Cecilia Arradaza wrote that, “In response to federal research funding changes, the School of Medicine, in alignment with the university, has established a Research Preparedness Task Force to ensure our community stays informed and equipped to navigate this shifting landscape.”
Stanford Law School (SLS) Dean George Triantis wrote, however, that he “wouldn’t have any information to contribute” regarding potential budget cuts.
Satz stated in the email that budget cuts of this nature may occur as soon as September 1, 2025.
“This is a difficult exercise, since there is a great deal of uncertainty about both the size and the timing of the cuts,” said Satz. “Still, it’s certain that cuts are coming.”
Satz wrote that H&S leadership has already sent “rough ranges” for budget cuts to the Directors of Finance and Operations (DFOs) and Associate Deans (ADs) of each program within the school. Satz also stated in the email that DFOs and ADs would receive training sessions to help execute the plans, but stressed that the exercise should be a “faculty led” effort with input from program directors.
These directives come at a time of financial uncertainty for the University. Martinez and University President Jonathan Levin ’94 announced a University-wide hiring freeze on February 26 in response to potential cuts to NIH research funding. The Trump administration has also proposed a cap on NIH funding for “indirect costs” of medical research at universities and other scientific institutions.
Congressional proposals also suggest tax increases on the current endowment, which provides over ⅔ of the budget for graduate and undergraduate financial aid, faculty salaries, research and programs such as libraries and student services.
Other universities already face dramatic cuts to federal funding. On April 15, Harvard University refused a list of demands from U.S. President Donald Trump that included ceasing recognition of pro-Palestine student groups and commissioning an “audit” of students and staff for viewpoint diversity. In response, the government froze over $2.2 billion in federal funds. Harvard retaliated by suing the administration on Monday amid the administration’s review of a further $9 billion in federal contracts and grants.
In the past several weeks, Trump has frozen $1 billion for Cornell, $790 million for Northwestern, and $175 million from the University of Pennsylvania. At risk of losing $400 million in federal grants, Columbia capitulated to a list of Trump’s demands on March 21, which included banning face masks, giving security officers the ability to remove or arrest students, and taking control of departments that offer courses on the Middle East.
“I appreciate all you are doing to keep us moving forward, even in the face of serious headwinds,” Satz wrote to close the email.
Correction: This article was updated to include comment from additional sources.