PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Universities across the country are dealing with large cuts and holds on biomedical research grants from the Trump administration, effectively dimming young scientists’ prospects and cutting off pathways to career-building projects and graduate programs.
Universities are cutting back offers of admission for graduate students due to the uncertainty. Many also are freezing hiring as the Trump administration threatens to take away federal money over their handling of a wide range of issues from antisemitism complaints to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, for example, has rescinded dozens of admissions offers to prospective grad students. Columbia University has faced threats of funding cuts.
Doctoral and post-doctoral training programs in Philadelphia are feeling the squeeze. The University of Pennsylvania reportedly directed chairs to reduce graduate admissions.
Dr. Jacqueline Barker, who leads a research lab at Drexel University College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, said the school is also reducing the number of grad students admitted.
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“A lot of what I do is training people, and it makes you afraid to recruit new trainees so that you can make sure you have resources to see them through their career,” she said, as grad programs typically cover tuition and a living stipend for students in their first few years.
Barker said morale has plummeted as research opportunities narrow and labs take on fewer grad students and post-docs.
“We’re afraid to take risks, given the climate,” she added. “We’re being more cautious in bringing in new trainees, so we’re already going to be minimizing the potential for the next generation of scientists.”
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Dr. Jessica Barson, assistant dean for mentoring and support at Drexel’s College of Medicine, leads a lab in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy.
“As a mentor, I would really like to be able to give my trainees reassurance,” she said, “say something like, ‘I’ve seen this before, we’ll be able to get through it.’ And unfortunately, this is not something I’ve ever lived through before.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.