UCLA to engage in discussions with Trump concerning the halt of $339 million in medical and science funding
In a significant turn of events, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is currently in negotiations with the Trump administration to reinstate $339 million in frozen medical and science federal grants. These funds are part of a larger total of $584 million in suspended federal funding affecting UCLA.
The negotiations stem from allegations that UCLA violated civil rights laws related to protections against antisemitism. The University of California system has agreed to enter these negotiations aiming for the full restoration of all suspended and at-risk federal funding as soon as possible.
UCLA Vice Chancellor for Research Roger Wakimoto stated that the university is "out of the gate setting the pace" in dealing with the federal funding cuts. UCLA is facing a potential lawsuit from the Department of Justice over these violations, with a deadline set for Sept. 2 for UCLA to indicate it will negotiate over the findings, or the Trump administration will sue.
The negotiations remain ongoing, with UCLA defending its efforts to combat antisemitism and seeking to restore its federal funding without conceding to punitive financial settlements or significant government oversight imposed on academic autonomy. UCLA is preparing to contact the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy to discuss the suspended grants.
UCLA is not alone in this struggle. Hundreds of faculty members have signed a petition demanding UC to challenge the government more head-on and reject the Trump administration's demands. The petition suggests that UC could tap into billions in unrestricted endowment funds to bridge the gap left by suspended grants.
Notably, UCLA is the first public higher education institution targeted by President Trump for federal funding cuts. U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi has stated that UCLA would pay a "heavy price" for acting with "deliberate indifference" to the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students.
In a recent development, UCLA has agreed to pay $6.45 million in a lawsuit over a pro-Palestinian encampment brought by Jewish students. This settlement does not affect the ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration.
The petition from the UCLA Faculty Assn. has garnered more than 600 signatures, mostly from UCLA professors, as of Monday afternoon. Other UC campuses are offering to help UCLA, including by taking care of lab animals that may need aid.
As the negotiations continue, UCLA is also considering legal options in addition to negotiations. Carrie Bearden, a professor at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, is among those who signed the petition. Her research grant, which funds students doing neurogenetics research, has been suspended.
Vivek Shetty, a UCLA professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery and biomedical engineering, also had an NIH grant frozen. His research focused on training digital health researchers. The Department of Justice found that UCLA had violated Jewish students' civil rights, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing negotiations.
UCLA's negotiations with the Trump administration are a critical test case for how public universities will navigate potential conflicts with the federal government under the current administration. The outcome of these negotiations could set a precedent for how other universities may handle similar situations in the future.
- The halted health and science federal grants amounting to $339 million at UCLA are negotiable with the Trump administration, amidst allegations of civil rights violations.
- The Vice Chancellor for Research at UCLA, Roger Wakimoto, has stated that the university is actively addressing federal funding cuts, aiming to restore grants without conceding to punitive settlements or government oversight.
- Other UC campuses have offered aid to UCLA, including care for lab animals, as UCLA faculty members petition the university to challenge the government more assertively over the funding cuts.
- UCLA is currently in discussions with the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy concerning the suspended grants.
- The ongoing negotiations between UCLA and the Trump administration could potentially set a precedent for how public universities handle conflicts with the federal government under the current administration.
- The Education and Self-Development sector might experience a change based on the outcome of UCLA's negotiations, as it could impact how universities deal with federal funding in the future.
