For students dreaming of earning a doctorate and entering academia, mentorship networks and recruitment platforms often make the difference between aspiration and access. But across the United States, several universities are quietly stepping back from one such long-running nonprofit after federal scrutiny. An original report by OPB highlights how shifting policy winds in Washington are reshaping the ecosystem that supports doctoral candidates of colour — with implications for future scholars worldwide.
At the centre of the development is The PhD Project, a nonprofit founded over three decades ago to increase racial diversity in business school faculties by supporting Black, Indigenous and other underrepresented students in pursuing doctoral degrees.
According to OPB, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation in March 2025 into 45 universities over their partnerships with The PhD Project. The department argued that the organisation “unlawfully limits eligibility based on the race of participants,” and that such affiliations could violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded education programmes.
So far, 31 institutions have agreed to end formal ties. Among them is the University of Oregon (UO). Documents obtained by OPB show that UO signed a resolution agreement with the department’s Office for Civil Rights in October 2025.
“We consider the matter resolved,” UO spokesperson Angela Seydel told OPB in an email, adding that the university has not heard further from the department.
The move comes amid a broader push by the administration of President Donald Trump to curb diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement cited by OPB: “This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation.”
Despite its relatively low public profile, The PhD Project says it has “helped more than 1,500 members earn their doctoral degree.”
The organisation maintains that its mission remains unchanged.
“The PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms and this remains our goal today,” the nonprofit said in a statement reported by OPB.
Universities have described their involvement as limited. OPB reports that UO sent two employees to a recruitment event during the 2022–24 academic years, while one student attended a conference without financial assistance.
Other institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said they paid nominal fees to participate in conferences to access broader applicant pools.
For students — particularly international aspirants tracking US doctoral pathways — the immediate takeaway is nuanced. The investigations target institutional partnerships, not individual applicants. There is no indication that doctoral admissions for students of colour have been paused or reversed.
However, the scaling back of formal recruitment channels may affect networking opportunities, mentorship pipelines and visibility for underrepresented scholars in the long term. Universities have also agreed to review other partnerships to ensure compliance with federal law.
For Indian and global students eyeing PhD programmes in the US, the episode underscores a larger reality: policy shifts can reshape access structures quickly. As OPB’s reporting shows, the debate over diversity initiatives is no longer abstract — it is influencing how universities recruit, collaborate and define opportunity in higher education.
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