DOGE cuts $15 million in Alabama grants for climate research, violence prevention program

Alabama colleges and other groups across the state recently lost more than $15 million in federal funding for various research grants and community initiatives.

This comes in addition to the $35 million loss in university funding due to President Donald Trump’s recent order to cut grants that pay for research that might involve diversity, equity and inclusion.

According to the Department of Government Efficiency website, the most recent round of cuts is supposed to save taxpayers nearly $15.7 million.

Below is a list of the research grants cut in late April.

  • Tuskegee University

Lost a $4,999,999 grant to expand markets for climate-smart agroforestry in Alabama, Virginia, and Maryland, and supports farmer implementation and monitoring of climate-smart practices.

The cut has an estimated $4,999,942 in savings, according to DOGE.

Lost a $4,081,137 grant to expand markets for climate-smart sheep and goat farming and support farmer and rancher implementation and monitoring of climate-smart practices. in Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.

$4,081,137 in savings.

Lost a $75,000 grant to strengthen organic agriculture infrastructure.

$48,678 in savings.

Lost a $50,000 grant for the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference.

$6,873 in savings.

Lost a $25,000 grant for a genetic improvement symposium for small beef producers in the Southeast.

$22,242 in savings.

  • Auburn University

Lost a $650,000 grant to research heir property and improve land accessibility.

$650,000 in savings.

  • Alabama A&M University

Lost a $249,999 grant for climate change research.

$232,045 in savings.

Lost a $40,612 grant for diverse forester outreach.

$40,612 in savings.

Lost a $360,000 grant for the school’s fire apprenticeship program.

$266,200 in savings.

  • The Selma Center for Nonviolence

Lost a $1,999,574 grant for the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI), to address systemic violence in Selma, focusing on historically underserved and marginalized populations.

$1,999,574 in savings

  • The South-Central Alabama Mental Health Board Inc.

Lost a $550,000 funding grant

$550,000 in savings

  • The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Lost a $2.8 million grant for its Minority Business Development Agency Capital Readiness program which aims to “close the entrepreneurship gap between socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.”

The savings were not available to view.

Efforts to reach representatives for all of the colleges listed, The Selma Center for Nonviolence, and the South-Central Alabama Mental Health Board Inc. were unsuccessful.

Denise Curtis, director of communications for the Mobile Chamber, confirmed that the $2.8 million grant had been cut but did not offer further comment.