ST. LOUIS — Washington University in St. Louis has announced it will pause two high-profile construction projects on its campus, citing "uncertainties regarding federal funding" due to potential restrictions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants under consideration by the Trump administration.

The university stated in a press release Monday that the decision follows weeks of internal discussions about the financial outlook and long-term planning. In addition to the construction pauses, university leaders had previously said they were weighing other cost-saving measures, including tuition hikes and operational cutbacks.

Among the projects halted is the university’s new Arts and Sciences building — a 110,000-square-foot facility that was designed to support the growing needs of the department. The project, originally announced in 2021, had already broken ground earlier this year. It was expected to include classrooms, faculty offices, and collaborative learning spaces aimed at enhancing interdisciplinary study.

The second project, a redesign of Mudd Field, the central green space on the university’s Danforth Campus, will also be delayed. The overhaul was part of a larger initiative to improve outdoor spaces and promote student engagement through upgraded landscaping, seating, and event infrastructure.

In a statement included in the announcement, Chancellor Andrew Martin acknowledged the difficult decision to pause both initiatives but emphasized the need for caution amid financial instability.

“Continued work on the two construction projects is simply not prudent,” Martin said. “We will reevaluate continuing construction at a later date.”

The Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to impose new restrictions on federal research grants from the NIH — a major source of funding for biomedical and academic research — have sparked concern across U.S. research institutions. Washington University, a top recipient of NIH grants, is among many universities bracing for the potential impact such changes could have on their operations and long-term planning.

University officials did not provide a timeline for when they might revisit the paused projects. They did, however, reaffirm their commitment to maintaining academic excellence and fiscal responsibility while monitoring federal developments.

The university added that it would continue advocating for stable and predictable federal research funding, which supports not only innovation but also job creation and infrastructure growth in higher education.

Originally reported by KSDK.