Johns Hopkins University Facing Major Layoffs Amid Federal Funding Cuts

BALTIMORE, Md. — Johns Hopkins University announced on March 18, 2025, that it will lay off over 200 employees in May following significant cuts to its federal funding, including a loss of $800 million in federal grants.

The layoffs impact staff primarily from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and JHPIEGO, a nonprofit global health organization affiliated with the university. JHPIEGO will see 130 layoffs, and the public health school will lose 107 positions.

Overall, Hopkins plans to eliminate about 1,975 positions internationally and 247 in the United States as part of cost-saving measures in response to the funding crisis. This includes the 200 layoffs announced for May, according to Doug Donovan, director of media relations at the university.

“These scale-backs are a result of the Trump administration blocking federal spending across numerous agencies, like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in an attempt to cut waste,” Donovan explained. “The cuts significantly affect institutions, such as Johns Hopkins, that depend heavily on federal support.”

The university’s president, Ron Daniels, and Johns Hopkins Medicine CEO Theodore DeWeese highlighted the potential consequences of these funding reductions, stating that approximately 600 clinical trials could be jeopardized. “The indirect funding from NIH oftentimes kept the lights at Hopkins on,” they argued in a statement sent to The Baltimore Sun.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires employers with 100 or more workers to provide at least 60 days of advance written notice before a mass layoff occurs, applies to this situation. Affected employees are expected to receive at least two months’ notice. The layoffs for the school of public health and JHPIEGO are set to take effect on May 12.

In response to the upheaval, Johns Hopkins has pledged to offer support services, assistance, and resources to aid employees during the transition period. “We are committed to helping our staff navigate through these challenging times,” a university spokesperson stated.

The layoffs come as part of a broader trend impacting research institutions nationwide, as federal support fluctuates due to shifting political priorities. As the university braces for these significant changes, many employees await further details about their futures.

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