Brown will not dissociate from fossil fuels at this time, the University announced Thursday following a review by a campus advisory committee.
The announcement comes after a petition submitted in February 2023 by the student-led climate group Sunrise Brown. The petition called on Brown to stop accepting research funding and donations from fossil fuel companies and their affiliates.
The Advisory Committee on University Resource Management, known as ACURM, reviewed the petition and recommended against the move at this time, instead suggesting a faculty vote.
“Researchers must be free to seek and accept funding from a variety of sources to support their work, provided that this does not compromise the integrity of their research,” ACURM’s recommendation reads.
But starting in November 2025, the University will begin publishing names of organizations that fund its research in its annual financial report, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 wrote in a campus-wide letter.
She hopes that publicizing the list will “allay concerns that Brown is accepting research grants from organizations that are not aligned with University policy,” Paxson wrote.
“We consider President Paxson’s logic to be flawed and look forward to continuing our work with faculty members to achieve a Fossil Free Research policy that protects academic freedom and the integrity of Brown’s research,” Sunrise wrote in a statement to The Herald. “The stakes could not be higher.”
ACURM recommended bringing the potential restriction on fossil fuel-funded research to a faculty vote. Paxson didn’t endorse this recommendation, saying that existing faculty committees already have the power to do so. Instead, she asked the Faculty Executive Committee, Brown’s central faculty committee, to meet with ACURM to discuss the recommendation. The FEC can set the agenda for monthly meetings where faculty vote on University policies.
In their recommendation, ACURM also suggested creating a mentorship committee to educate Brown researchers about fossil fuel research funding. Paxson agreed to increase transparency among faculty about potential risks associated with accepting research funding. The Division of Research will sponsor events on this topic, but Paxson did not commit to creating a committee, saying that decision should come from the Vice President of Research.
Lastly, ACURM recommended that the University’s Gift and Grants Review Committee review all research contributions backed by the fossil fuel industry. The GGRC currently reviews gifts and grants flagged by Brown’s Division of Advancement or Division of Research. Paxson disagreed with this decision.
Sunrise’s petition also requested that Brown bans fossil fuel companies from recruiting at Brown, which, according to Paxson, was outside of ACURM’s scope.
Earlier this year, Brown’s Center for Career Exploration committed to no longer inviting fossil fuel companies to host on-campus recruitment events, The Herald previously reported. The change did not represent a permanent and formal change in recruitment policies, CCE Executive Director Matthew Donato previously noted.
Paxson wrote that the CCE, not ACURM, is responsible for ensuring “that its recruitment practices are aligned with existing University policies.”
Sunrise also asked Brown to offer retirement plan options with no links to fossil fuels, a request which was also not deliberated by ACURM. A year after Sunrise submitted the petition, Brown added fossil-fuel free retirement options, The Herald previously reported.
Last spring, Sunrise Brown launched their “DIRE” campaign — which stands for “dissociate” and “reinvest” — calling on the University to dissociate from the fossil fuel industry and prioritize issues of environmental justice in its relationships with the Providence community. The group put their petition through administrative review processes and presented it to ACURM last January.
By 2020, the University had sold 90% of its fossil fuel investments, but the Corporation has not voted on a formal divestment from fossil fuels. Paxson said the University plans to sell the remainder of its fossil fuel investments “as it becomes possible to do so,” The Herald previously reported.
Clarification: This story's headline has been updated to better reflect developments surrounding ACURM's recommendation.
Kate Butts is a senior staff writer covering University Hall. Outside of The Herald, she loves running, board games and Trader Joe's snacks.
Sophia Wotman is a senior staff writer covering activism. She is a junior from Long Island, New York concentrating in Political Science with a focus on women’s rights. She is a jazz trumpet player, and often performs on campus and around Providence.
