PhD programs slashed nationwide as universities respond to Trump’s sweeping federal budget changes

US universities are slashing PhD program admissions in response to significant cuts in federal funding initiated by the Trump administration. With the NIH facing proposed restrictions and grant reviews frozen, programs like UCSD’s Biological Science have reduced admissions by 30%. Universities like Stanford also announced hiring freezes, while concerns rise over the future of diversity programs such as Baylor’s IMSD. Early-career researchers and graduate students face an uncertain future as these funding cuts reshape higher education.