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Education Department Launches Investigation Into University of Michigan’s Foreign Funding Disclosures

Noncompliance with the 30-day request for tax records, funding agreements and gift disclosures from 2020 onward could prompt civil enforcement actions.

A detail view of the University of Michigan Wolverines "Go Blue" logo prior to an NCAA college football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State University Spartans on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
United States Department of Education logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Office of General Counsel flagged that the university underreported tens of millions of dollars in foreign gifts and mislabeled government-affiliated donors in Section 117 filings.
  • The department has ordered UM to submit tax records, foreign funding agreements and detailed lists of all gifts and personnel involved in international collaborations within 30 days.
  • Investigators referenced June criminal charges against two Chinese nationals for allegedly smuggling a potential agroterrorism pathogen into a UM laboratory as grounds for heightened scrutiny.
  • The probe aligns with President Trump’s executive order on Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence and follows similar inquiries at Harvard, UPenn and UC Berkeley.
  • The University of Michigan says it will fully cooperate with investigators and is reviewing its disclosure policies to meet federal requirements.