Harvard University faced potential financial jeopardy as the Trump administration threatened to withhold billions in federal research funding. The opinion piece argues that such cuts would devastate university research, hindering scientific progress and significantly damaging the American economy by stifling innovation. The author uses data to demonstrate the substantial return on investment in university research, highlighting its role in patent creation and the formation of major companies. By potentially crippling universities, the administration would be undermining a critical engine of societal advancement and economic growth.