Farmington, Maine - The US Department of Agriculture halted its research and development funding for the University of Maine after President Donald Trump had a public spat with the state's governor.

Trump clashed with Governor Janet Mills after she refused to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' sport.

This followed an executive order Trump signed in February banning trans girls from competing in women's sports across the US.

Not long after, the University of Maine reportedly received an email from the USDA's chief financial officer ordering that payments be paused while it conducts a review into the university's record on civil and gender-based rights.

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The USDA complaint referred to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Title IX, which outlaws sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools and education programs.

About $30 million in funding has been frozen, a significant hit to a number of the university's agriculture-based projects, including potato breeding, the development of cross-laminated timber, and more.

"Funding from federal agencies, including USDA, has been essential to UMaine’s capacity to prepare the workforce and deliver research-driven innovation necessary for the success and growth of Maine’s natural resource economy," a statement from the University of Maine System read.

It also provided an extensive list of activities and projects funded by USDA grants which will have to be temporarily paused due to the funding freeze.

"In FY24, the USDA awarded $29.78 million to UMaine for research [that] benefited the state’s farmers, fishermen and foresters; supported education and youth leadership... and made local food systems safer."