Winona State University loses $1.1 million grant from Defense Department

The Department of Defense has terminated a $1.1 million grant to Winona State University designed to promote civic engagement.

A university spokesperson said the school was notified by the Pentagon on Feb. 28 that the award “no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”

Awarded in August 2024 under the Biden administration, the funding was intended to “foster civility, community dialogue and ethical leadership” through an initiative the university had dubbed the Civic Center.

Work began last fall with a series of events on “Promoting Civility Through Dialogue.” The university also launched an internship program and was planning a speaker series this spring on issues like transportation and affordable housing.

“This grant represented a significant investment in student learning and regional community support for civic engagement, and we are disappointed the award has been terminated,” the university said in a statement.

Despite the loss of funding, WSU said it would assess the progress made to date with the Civic Center and explore possible ways to continue the work in partnership with students and surrounding communities.

The grant is part of $80 million in cuts announced this week by the Pentagon as it works with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to identify “funds wasted on programs that do not support DOD’s core mission.”

The budget cuts also included a $6 million grant to the University of Montana intended to “strengthen American democracy by bridging divides.”

“This stuff is not a core function of our military,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an online video. “This is not what we do. This is a distraction from our core mission.”

Parnell added that the funding cuts are just the start, with more expected this week.

Working with DOGE, the government initiative led by Elon Musk to cut costs across the federal government, the Pentagon says it plans to cut 8% of the department’s budget — or about $50 billion — in each of the next five years and redirect the money to other programs in the department be prioritized by President Donald Trump, such as protecting the U.S. border.