CHICAGO — Northwestern University is expected to close a deal “soon” with the Trump administration, potentially restoring $790 million in frozen federal research funding, according to the U.S. Education Department.

The deal could also resolve several government investigations into alleged antisemitism on campus. An agency spokesperson said in a statement that “the parties are negotiating in good faith and making progress.”

“We look forward to announcing a final agreement soon that will ensure all students have equal learning opportunities, hiring and admissions decisions are merit-based, and the university once again prioritizes truth seeking and academic excellence,” the statement said.

The New York Times first reported on the pending deal on Wednesday. Northwestern did not respond to a request for comment.

The university’s research funding was frozen in April amid several federal probes into the campus climate for Jewish students. The abrupt loss of funds sent shockwaves through the school’s research infrastructure and resulted in a string of budget cuts, including hundreds of layoffs this summer.

Northwestern may be forced to pay a $75 million fine to resolve the conflict, according to the Times, which cited two unnamed sources. The Education Department noted the deal “is not final.”

President Donald Trump has sought to crack down on elite universities, painting them as hubs for liberalism and antisemitism. His administration has frozen the research funding for several other institutions, some of which have pursued similar deals.

Columbia University agreed to pay a $200 million settlement over three years, in addition to implementing new policies to combat antisemitism. Brown University agreed to pay $50 million, while Cornell University committed to $30 million, plus an additional $30 million investment in agricultural research.

Some have likened the payments to extortion. When reports circulated that Northwestern was in talks with the White House in August, hundreds of faculty members signed a statement calling the school “complicit in an assault on institutions of higher education.”

The intense federal pressure led to the abrupt resignation of former NU President Michael Schill in September. Schill had faced an onslaught of conservative criticism since last year over his handling of Northwestern’s pro-Palestinian encampment. While he did not directly address what led to his resignation, he noted the “difficult problems” at the federal level.

His replacement in the interim, Henry Bienen, was announced shortly after. Bienen, a political scientist, had previously served as Northwestern’s president from 1995 to 2009.

In September, the university reaffirmed its commitment to temporarily funding research out of pocket amid the freeze. At one point, Northwestern had been shelling out $10 million each week to keep research afloat, faculty told the Tribune this summer.

“Despite the freeze, we will continue to meet the essential funding needs of our faculty researchers at least through the end of the calendar year,” the university said.

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