Since early 2025, federal agencies have shifted their research priorities, cutting or freezing grants that many UNC researchers depend on. Those changes have forced researchers across campus to adjust their projects, rewrite proposals and search for new funding.

Professor of Nutrition at the Gillings School of Public Health Alice Ammerman describes how the shake-up has disrupted her community-based research. Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Andy Johns explains how these federal shifts are reshaping UNC's research enterprise and how the University is responding.

111 grants were terminated, leading to $38 million of lost funding as of Sept. 2, 2025.

Alice Ammerman was interviewed Sept. 3. Andy Johns was interviewed Sept. 2.

Audio story by Kshitiz Adhikari. Produced by Amelie Fawson. Photo by Amina Williams.

Two conservative political activists from Fearless Debates sat behind a table near the Old Well on Friday, Sept. 19. With signs promoting deportation and rejecting abortion, they drew a crowd of UNC students, faculty and community members. Fearless Debates recently began their Fearless Tour, which sees the team visiting university campuses around the country to discuss hot button political issues.

Hear more about Fearless Debates' political activism and UNC's reaction to it on Heel Talk.

Story by Andrew Sellers

Welcome to the last Heel Talk episode of the semester, where AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, Tae Hong and Brodie McCartan to discuss University, City and Lifestyle news you may have missed last week. On this episode, the group chats about the restored SEVIS status of 5 international students, a proposed House Bill that would further restrict abortion in North Carolina and the University's first student-led Climate Change Symposium since the pandemic.

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, N'Nia Brickhouse and Lizzie Stoner to recap some of the biggest stories from The Daily Tar Heel that you may have missed last week. The group discusses the Trump administration's termination of six international student visas at UNC, a recent decision to count the contested ballots in the race for North Carolina Supreme Court Justice and the latest art exhibition at Carrboro's Peel Gallery.

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, William Becker and Lucy Wu to recap the biggest local news you may have missed last week. The group discusses a hiring freeze at the business school, decisions made at the Carrboro Town Council's latest meeting and a new on-campus escape room from Chapel Thrill Escapes.

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, Lauren Zola and Claire Kwon to recap the biggest University, City and Lifestyle stories from last week at UNC. The group covers a disqualified student government candidate sueing the UNC Board of Elections, the spread of North Carolina wildfires after Hurricane Helene and a UNC play about abortion research.

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, William Becker and Lizzie Stoner to recap the biggest stories across the DTH's University, City & State and Lifestyle desks. The group discusses UNC's newly-elected graduate and professional student government president, updates on the contested NC Supreme Court race and a UNC professor encourages students to explore the world of food studies.

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV assistant editor Amelie Fawson sits down with staffers Tae Hong, Lucy Wu and Lizzie Stoner to recap the biggest stories across the DTH's University, City & State and Lifestyle desks. The group discusses UNC's use of AI technology to review admissions essays, the impact of new funding for reentry programs in North Carolina and the local music scene spotlighted by the PBS show Shaped by Sound.

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV editor Natalie Bradin sits down with assistant Amelie Fawson and staffers Claire Kwon and Meredith Kearson to recap the biggest stories across the DTH's University, City & State and Lifestyle desks. The group discusses a student lawsuit filed against the UNC Board of Elections, Fort Bragg returning to its original name and a group of UNC students who reported on NYFW.

In this episode of Heel Talk, host Natalie Bradin recaps some of the biggest DTH stories from last week with colleagues William Becker, Brodie McCartan and Lizzie Stoner. The group chats about Adolfo Alvarez's victory in the student body president elections, the closure of 401 Main in Carrboro and a jazz concert that united N.C. Central, UNC and Duke University.