Chancellor Joan Gabel told the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees on July 11 that the university is pursuing a multi‑pronged strategy to protect and sustain its research enterprise amid changes in federal research policy and funding.

Gabel told trustees the university's response includes one‑on‑one advocacy with federal and state elected officials and agency leaders, coordinated action with peer institutions through national organizations, litigation or amicus briefs where appropriate, and public communications. She described national and campus communications efforts: at the national level the Association of American Universities is circulating a campaign called "Breakthroughs," and on campus Pitt has launched a "Research Matters" toolkit to help faculty, students and staff explain the impact of their work.

"We've launched an effort called PIVOT, which is emerging out of the Pitt research concierge program," Gabel said, describing it as a way to expand partnerships with state, local, corporate and philanthropic sources and to optimize alternative funding beyond federal research dollars. She said PIVOT is intended to "enhance and support our faculty and make sure that we're optimizing alternative sources of funding" while preserving federal research where possible.

Gabel also briefed trustees on the Joint Associations Group (JAG), a working group of research universities and national organizations seated to discuss alternative models for federal research funding. She noted that Rob Rutenbar was selected to participate in that group. Trustees and administrators said preliminary drafts and proposals are already circulating within that forum.

Trustees asked for and received a description of contingency planning should federally negotiated indirect cost recovery change materially. Administrators described operational steps — sharing facilities and cores, reclassifying some costs from indirect to direct where appropriate, and targeted reserve use — intended to smooth impacts on principal investigators, research staff and facilities. CFO Duane Pinckney characterized indirect costs as "real costs" the university incurs for utilities, lab maintenance, IT, compliance and other campuswide services that support research.

Gabel also updated the board on other federal policy developments affecting students and athletics. She summarized a recent court‑approved settlement in a case the transcript called the "house case" against the NCAA and said the settlement permits revenue sharing with student‑athletes up to a cap for the current year; trustees asked athletic administrators whether name, image and likeness developments complicate academic commitments for student‑athletes. Athletic staff told trustees they remain committed to keeping student‑athletes "students first."