Dartmouth again joined several peer institutions in filing an amicus brief in support of Harvard’s lawsuit against multiple federal agencies and arguing for continued investment and university partnerships in scientific research. The previous amicus brief signed by Dartmouth—submitted June 9, 2025—was filed at the district court level, where the court found in favor of Harvard. This latest brief was submitted in response to the Department of Justice's appeal to the First Circuit.

As outlined in our submission, universities leverage the funding received through highly competitive federal awards, in synergy with large investments of our own, to drive scientific discoveries, improve lives, and build economies.

Dartmouth received notice on July 21 that the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is opening a Title VI investigation into the use of race in admissions at the Geisel School of Medicine. 

This is not a finding of wrongdoing. Geisel works to educate future physicians and scientists, and to address today’s most pressing health problems through research and discovery, including a focus on serving rural populations in our region and across the nation. We remain confident in Geisel’s admissions process and will respond to the Department of Education’s request for information in due course, consistent with applicable law.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a final rule eliminating "duration of status" for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors, set to take effect on Sept. 15. In addition to replacing admission for “duration of status” with fixed end dates on the I-94 record of arrival, the rule imposes new restrictions on educational mobility. 

Dartmouth's Office of Visa and Immigration Services reached out to all affected community members and is reviewing the rule carefully to fully understand its implications. They will host information sessions for those individuals and are sharing resources on a dedicated webpage.

OVIS has been tracking this rule since it was first proposed last fall, and Dartmouth submitted a formal comment opposing this rule change documenting the specific burdens the rule places on our students and exchange visitors.

In response to a request for input, Dartmouth urged the Office of Management and Budget to reconsider its proposed regulations that would make significant changes to how federal research grants are selected and carried out. 

Provost Santiago Schnell and Vice Provost for Research Dean Madden warned that, if implemented, the proposed regulations will likely erode U.S competitiveness by substituting political considerations for scientific expertise, creating uncertainty over whether a grant could be cancelled at any time, and prohibiting valuable and legitimate collaborations with international partners. 

Provost Santiago Schnell traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with administration and agency officials, advocating for the involvement of higher education in setting science and technology policy and for the release of funding for grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health.