Some universities in the US are halting or reducing PhD admissions due to uncertainties surrounding federal funding attributed to the Trump administration's policies. As a result, prospective students are left unclear about which programs are affected. The NIH, a major source of funding for biomedical research, has frozen grant distributions amid budget cuts and proposals to drastically lower overhead funding for universities. This situation has led to significant distress among academic institutions and prospective graduate students alike, impacting the future of research and education in the US.
"The whole thing is horrendous," says a professor at the university, who requested anonymity because they are involved in admissions. "They're cutting the heart of the intellectual mission of the university."
At the center of most of the turmoil is the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has an annual budget of US$47 billion, the world's largest public funder of biomedical research.
The freeze has persisted despite a federal judge's order to release the money.
Under Trump, the NIH has attempted to slash the rate paid to US research institutions for the 'overhead costs' from between 40% and 70% to a flat 15%.
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