University of California says Trump administration suspending research funding over alleged antisemitism
- 'This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination,' university says
WASHINGTON
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) said on Friday it has been notified that the federal government is suspending certain research funding over alleged antisemitism on campus—a move it called “a loss for America.”
“UCLA received a notice that the federal government, through its control of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies, is suspending certain research funding to UCLA,” Chancellor Julio Frenk wrote in a message to the campus community, without disclosing the amount.
“In its notice to us, the federal government claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons,” he said. “This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination.”
Frenk warned that “hundreds of grants may be lost,” affecting health, technology, and national security research that benefits “ordinary Americans, veterans, and our dedicated service members.”
The move comes amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on universities over pro-Palestinian campus protests following Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Earlier this week, UCLA agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Jewish students and a faculty member in June 2024, which alleged the university failed to address discrimination during spring pro-Palestine encampments on campus.
Frenk said the university has taken “robust actions” to address the issue, including the creation of a new Office of Campus and Community Safety and stricter protest policies. He said UCLA launched an initiative to combat antisemitism and is implementing recommendations from the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias.
