Pitt Freezes PhD Admissions Amidst NIH Funding Uncertainty

The University of Pittsburgh has temporarily halted PhD admissions due to uncertainty surrounding frozen research aid from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This follows an NIH policy to reduce the funding cap for indirect research costs (like building maintenance and support staff) from Pitt's current 59% to 15%. While a federal judge temporarily blocked the policy, Pitt preemptively paused admissions to assess the impact of potential funding cuts. Other universities, including USC and Vanderbilt, have taken similar actions. The NIH funding slowdown is already evident, significantly impacting Pittsburgh's life sciences sector.