The Trump administration has escalated its dispute with Harvard University by threatening to take ownership of patents valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on August 8, 2025, accusing the university of failing to comply with its legal and contractual obligations under the Bayh-Dole Act related to federally funded research. The administration has ordered a comprehensive review of Harvard's federally funded research programs and is initiating the "march-in" process, which could allow the federal government to assume control or grant licenses for the university's lucrative patent portfolio. This move is part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to increase oversight of universities, including a new directive signed by President Donald Trump requiring colleges to submit data proving they do not consider race in admissions, following a Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action. The Justice Department has also reached agreements barring race-based admissions at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Academy.