Johns Hopkins University has announced plans to lay off more than 2,000 employees worldwide due to the termination of over $800 million in funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The university cited the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid as the primary reason for the layoffs.
In a statement on Thursday, the Baltimore-based institution described the move as a “difficult day for our entire community,” adding that the loss of funding has forced it to wind down critical global programs. The layoffs will affect at least 1,975 employees across 44 countries, as well as 247 staff members in the United States.
The cuts come amid a broader push by President Donald Trump and his senior advisor, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, to reduce federal spending. Their administration has specifically targeted USAID, which funds international aid, research, and development projects.
Johns Hopkins, known as the first American research university, has been particularly affected by these reductions. The institution relies heavily on federal grants, with nearly half of its funding last year coming from government sources. In early March, university president Ronald Daniels warned that the cuts would significantly impact health, hygiene, and medical programs worldwide.
The announcement confirmed that the university’s medical school, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Jhpiego—a nonprofit focused on global health—are among the hardest hit. The cuts will impact programs dedicated to maternal and infant care, disease prevention, and clean drinking water initiatives.
Hopkins, which receives approximately $1 billion annually from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is currently conducting 600 clinical trials. The university is also among the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging the funding cuts.
USAID, the largest funding agency for Jhpiego, operates health and emergency programs in 120 countries. Trump’s administration, which has begun dismantling parts of the humanitarian agency, issued an executive order in January freezing all US foreign aid to assess expenses. Critics warn that the cuts will endanger millions of lives by halting critical aid and research projects.
