← All Cases

American Association of Universities v. DoD

No. 25-cv-11740 Circuit · Decided active
Court
1st Cir.
ca1
Decided
Mar 16, 2026
Filed
Jul 31, 2025
Filed (CL)
Jul 31, 2025
CL Status
terminated

Case Overview

The case involves Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reclassifying “indirect costs” for academic DOD research as wasteful and refusing to pay them. The court granted summary judgment ordering DOD to restore those payments, calling Hegseth’s position “entirely misleading.” The government did not appeal the earlier injunction, indicating they likely recognized the weakness of their position.


The Application

History

The court found Hegseth's reclassification of indirect costs as wasteful to be 'entirely misleading' and lacking rational basis. The government's failure to appeal the earlier injunction reflects recognition of the weakness of its position against the universities' contractual and statutory claims.

The Conclusion

The court granted summary judgment ordering DOD to restore indirect cost payments to universities. The case remains active with the injunction in place, and the government's non-appeal suggests the order will stand.

Subscribe on Substack ↗

This tracker is maintained by BrynoDC and is free because readers fund it. Support