NEW YORK, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Johns Hopkins University (JHU) announced Thursday that it has begun laying off more than 2,000 workers worldwide after 800 million U.S. dollars in funding were cut by the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump.

This marked the largest layoff in the history of the leading scientific research university, affecting 247 domestic workers and an additional 1,975 positions across 44 countries.

"The largest layoffs in the university's history," JHU said, will affect its medical and public health schools, programs and a nonprofit organization.

"This is a difficult day for our entire community," the university said in a statement.

The Baltimore-based university is also the largest private employer in Maryland and appears to be among the hardest-hit research institutions by the federal cuts.

Thursday's layoffs follow the Trump administration's push to reshape the federal government, including major cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

This week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that 83 percent of USAID's programs will be canceled, with the remainder folded into the State Department.

The university also filed a lawsuit in February against another federal institution, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is also cutting funding for "indirect" costs, including facilities and laboratory maintenance.

JHU is the largest recipient of NIH funding. If the cuts proceed, it will lose 200 million dollars per year, according to court filings. The NIH has also paused funding to JHU and other institutions.

The Trump administration has recently also revoked 400 million dollars in funding from another institution, Columbia University.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen institutions in the United States have reportedly announced limits on hiring for faculty and staff positions, among other measures, in the last two weeks. Enditem

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