When Weinberg junior D’Andrea Boakye learned she was accepted into the Cancer-focused Undergraduate Research Experience program, or CURE, in March, she was thrilled.

However, four days after learning she had been accepted into the program through the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Feinberg School of Medicine, she received another email, saying the center had “unfortunate news” about the CURE program, Boakye said.

She said she cried on a phone call with the CURE program director, when she learned it had been canceled entirely for summer 2025 due to funding cuts. The CURE website was not updated to reflect the cancellation for more than a month and was then taken down.

“An email would have been more appropriate than a phone call, just because an email provides some sort of record of the cancellation,” Boakye said. “To me, the phone call just seems kind of like a way to cover their tracks.”

She said it was “a little humbling” to tell her parents and recommenders the program was canceled, and after nearly finalizing summer plans, she felt like she was back at “square one” with the internship search.

Boakye is not the only student experiencing a sudden change of plans. With summer around the corner, Northwestern undergraduate students are finalizing plans for internships and research over the break. However, budget cuts across departments have thrown a wrench into summer research opportunities as programs like CURE have been downsized or eliminated entirely.

In February, the University announced a 10% reduction in non-personnel expenses for the fiscal year in preparation for a potential federal funding cut. At the beginning of April, NU’s worst fears were realized as the federal government froze $790 million in funds allocated to NU.

Aleksandar Zafirovski is the associate director of administration at Lurie, which conducts cancer research and provides care for Northwestern Medicine patients with cancer.

When he first received the news of the 10% cut, he said, he had to determine what was “essential” and what could be eliminated. The CURE program was a victim of those considerations.

The program offered undergraduate students interested in biology and global health the opportunity to work on cancer research with the center.

“Obviously, (the CURE program) is something, like everything else, that we want to do,” Zafirovski said. “But to me, ‘essential’ is salaries and benefits and keeping the lights on.”

Zafirovski said even though the decision to cancel CURE was clear to him, it didn’t make the choice any less heartbreaking. He made the choice not because the program was unimportant, but because the center had not yet written the check for it. By canceling the program, the center was able to reallocate resources and pull fewer funds from current projects, he said.

While Boakye said she understood it may have been easier to cancel the program compared to other research funded by the center, she wished it had been handled differently and with more transparency, especially because awards had already been announced.

“Although it may not be legally binding, I think there should be some sort of precedent, or some sort of contractual agreement, that if you award an internship to a bunch of students, that you will follow through,” Boakye said.

The impact of losing programs like CURE might not be felt immediately, Zafirovski said, but it will be felt “down the road” when students enter the workforce without these hands-on experiences.

He added that several of the center’s programs, like CURE, either directly help advance research or indirectly develop the field by supporting up-and-coming scientists.

“Every generation has to do better,” Zafirovski said. “It generally does, but you have to give them that opportunity.”

Beyond cancer research, the Summer Internship Grant Program, which provides stipends to students with financial need so they can participate in unpaid internships over the summer, was also affected by the cuts.

While SIGP is still supporting some students this year, a University spokesperson told The Daily the program faced budget cuts. The spokesperson added that Northwestern Career Advancement, which runs the program, does not yet know the exact reduction in awards.

Weinberg sophomore August Shin, who studies neuroscience, applied for a SIGP grant to be able to prioritize real-world experience.

“I’m a lot more marketable if I’m giving free labor and then I’m receiving a grant through the university, so that was kind of a big draw,” Shin said. “The way it worked with this lab was there was only really availability for as a volunteer.”

Although Shin was denied a SIGP grant, he will still volunteer at the Cohen Lab in Portland, Oregon. However, he said he may look for an additional part-time job.

While the grant denial didn’t directly impact his plans, he said he was still “shocked” to have been rejected after having his application reviewed by a NCA adviser to ensure there were no major errors.

A University spokesperson told The Daily that NCA will work with alumni and other funding sources to ensure that as much SIGP funding is available for students as possible.

Weinberg freshman Aneesh Gogineni said he met with a Feinberg professor during Winter Quarter about a potential internship at his lab. While Gogineni said the professor was confident there would be a space for an undergraduate researcher then, Gogineni added that later in the quarter, the Feinberg professor told him the lab would not have the budget to hire someone.

Gogineni said he hopes to live with his brother in Chicago and volunteer at the professor’s lab over the summer. However, he said he recently learned that due to further budget cuts, there may not even be enough projects at the lab for a volunteer.

Gogineni said he may get a part-time job if he volunteers at a lab in Chicago. However, like other students affected by the funding cuts, his summer plans are still uncertain.

“Already, we’re in the quarter system, so things are always moving fast, especially this quarter I have a lot of midterms,” Gogineni said. “It’s doable, but then summer will slip to the back of my head. And then once a week, I remember I still don’t really know what I’m doing this summer.”

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