As she noted, the agreement will restore funding for the University's federally sponsored medical and health sciences research and permanently close three open reviews by federal agencies assessing Brown's legal compliance across various aspects of operations.
She explained that, at its core, the agreement resolves significant funding challenges that caused long-term threats to the University’s financial resources for research and education, and it preserves the integrity of Brown's academic foundation. President Paxson asserted that the agreement enables us as a community to move forward after a period of considerable uncertainty in a way that ensures Brown will continue to be the Brown that our students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends have known for generations. I feel this is especially important for our Public Health community, which experienced some of the earliest impact of federal actions to terminate research grants and freeze federal funding.
I’m hopeful that this agreement, by restoring research funding for scholars across the School of Public Health community, will quickly enable the wide-scale return of federal support for the vital public health research that so many of you lead and champion. Public health students and scholars at Brown have long been essential partners with the federal government in taking on research that ultimately helps to inform policy, protect communities, reduce health disparities and strengthen population health. I recognize that the uncertainty of recent months, and the disruptions to so much of what we do at SPH, have posed significant challenges. The commitments outlined in this agreement should allow important progress in our research to solve key public health problems and create solutions that lead to healthier communities.
I acknowledge that for members of the SPH community, some provisions in the agreement will raise questions — particularly as it relates to Brown’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as support for transgender members of our community. The agreement prohibits the University from performing gender reassignment surgery or prescribing puberty blockers or hormones to any minor child. This means that we will now refer students who are minors and who seek gender-affirming care from Student Health Services or the University Pharmacy to area specialists.
However, it's also essential to point out that the agreement does not impact teaching or training: The agreement specifically states that no provision gives the federal government the authority to dictate Brown’s curriculum. And the agreement does not impact clinical services provided by local health systems, which are separate from Brown. Many of the research projects in the School of Public Health are expressly intended to generate new insights to inform health care for the nation’s most vulnerable populations, and scholars across SPH can and will vigorously pursue this scholarship in service of healthier individuals and communities.
In the coming months, I know we’ll work together as a community to navigate any implications for our community as conversations take place among Brown’s senior leadership about the implementation of the agreement. As we work across Brown to abide by all nondiscrimination laws — including Title VI, Title VII and Title IX — it’s important to reaffirm that we remain steadfast in our shared commitment to welcoming students, faculty and staff from a wide range of backgrounds and ensuring a thriving academic community for everyone. Our support for all community members, including those in our LGBTQ+ community, is unchanged, and we remain committed to supporting all students consistent with our nondiscrimination policies.
It has been a challenging and uncertain few months, and I appreciate all of your efforts to advance our research, teaching and community engagement mission. I hope you share my optimism about the ability of all School of Public Health faculty, staff and students to refocus on our critical work to generate insights and solutions that positively impact the lives of populations in Rhode Island and across the globe.