"Trump Halts Research Financing: Millions of Dollars of Research Funding Frozen at UCLA by Trump"
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has been hit with a funding freeze, with nearly $200 million in grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Department of Energy (DOE) suspended. This development, announced by the Trump administration, means that research projects funded by these grants must immediately halt, creating uncertainty about their future.
The funding freeze follows a July 29 finding by the Department of Justice (DOJ) accusing UCLA of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus and violating federal civil rights laws banning antisemitic and race-based discrimination. The DOJ also threatened severe consequences if UCLA does not respond adequately by August 5 and is investigating the university’s admissions practices.
UCLA's leaders, including Chancellor Julio Frenk, have expressed their disappointment and concern over the situation. In a letter to the "Bruin community," Frenk wrote that the suspended research funds represent a loss to researchers and Americans across the nation. Frenk, whose paternal grandparents left Germany in the 1930s due to antisemitism, and whose wife is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, insists that antisemitism has no place on the UCLA campus.
The Trump administration has justified the grant suspensions by claiming that UCLA’s activities are “not in alignment” with current NSF priorities, particularly after the NSF dropped funding for programs related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and combating misinformation. However, UCLA's Chancellor has stated that the far-reaching penalty of defunding research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination.
The UCLA administration has taken robust actions to make the campus a safe and welcoming environment for all students. On the same day, UCLA agreed to pay $6.45 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Jewish students who alleged that pro-Palestinian protesters had blocked them from parts of the UCLA campus during demonstrations last spring.
Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the freeze as a “cruel manipulation,” criticizing the administration’s use of antisemitism concerns as a pretext to cut critical science and health research funding that benefits public safety and health. UCLA's research vice chancellor has emphasized the goal to restore funding but highlighted the immediate impact on ongoing experiments and graduate students who rely heavily on federal grants.
UCLA is actively evaluating its best course of action with the support of the UC Board of Regents and the UC Office of the President. The future of these grants and the ongoing research they support remains uncertain, causing concern for the scientific community and the wider public.
- The funding freeze on UCLA, initiated by the Trump administration, was prompted by a Department of Justice finding accusing the university of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism and violating federal civil rights laws.
- Florida's Attorney General Pam Bondi, commenting on the situation, criticized the Trump administration's use of antisemitism concerns as a pretext to cut critical science and health research funding.
- The freeze has resulted in a $200 million loss in federal research funding for UCLA, affecting ongoing research projects and graduate students who heavily rely on these grants, as highlighted by UCLA's research vice chancellor.
