Universities are now the second-largest funders of research, according to the Association of American Universities. Between February and August 2025, the National Institutes of Health terminated 2,291 active research grants, rescinding $2.45 billion and disrupting thousands of projects, Science reported. However, university leaders remain concerned over the slow release of federal research funding, according to the Association of American Universities. For the love of the gameMost student research assistants are unpaid and rely on grants or secondary jobs, Simpson said. Last year, 19 students were published in the fifth edition of PANDION, which features lab research, creative literature and art.