LOS ANGELES — UCLA mentioned Thursday that it has been notified that it’s dropping federal analysis funding over alleged antisemitism, a transfer the chancellor referred to as “a loss for America.”
“UCLA obtained a discover that the federal authorities, by means of its management of the Nationwide Science Basis (NSF), the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) and different companies, is suspending sure analysis funding to UCLA,” Chancellor Julio Frenk mentioned in a message to the campus neighborhood. He didn’t say how a lot.
“This isn’t solely a loss to the researchers who depend on vital grants. It’s a loss for People throughout the nation whose work, well being, and future depend upon the groundbreaking work we do,” he wrote.
The Trump administration has sought to stress or retaliate towards universities throughout the nation following pupil protests on school campuses in regards to the warfare in Gaza. Some Republican members of Congress and others have referred to as the protests and among the conduct antisemitic.
Frenk mentioned in his message that the federal authorities cited antisemitism as its motive for the lack of funding.
“In its discover to us, the federal authorities claims antisemitism and bias as the explanations. This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving analysis does nothing to handle any alleged discrimination,” he wrote.
UCLA introduced Tuesday that it has agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged discrimination, which was introduced by Jewish college students and a college member. The lawsuit, filed in June 2024, accused the college of failing to take motion when pro-Palestinian protesters arrange encampments on campus that spring.
Frenk wrote within the message to the Bruin neighborhood — because the UCLA neighborhood is understood — that antisemitism has no place on campus however acknowledged room for enchancment. He mentioned the college has taken steps to fight it and put in place insurance policies about pupil protests.
The Nationwide Science Basis and the Nationwide Institutes of Well being didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark late Thursday.
Frenk highlighted essential work carried out by UCLA, which included serving to create what would develop into the web, and he mentioned researchers “are actually constructing new applied sciences that would gasoline whole industries and assist safeguard our troopers.”
President Donald Trump pledged throughout his marketing campaign to crack down on universities due to pupil protests towards the warfare in Gaza, which Israel launched towards Hamas after the Hamas assaults on Oct. 7, 2023, that focused Israeli civilians, together with at a music competition.
There may be now a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and this week the United Nations mentioned its Built-in Meals Safety Part Classification, or IPC, confirmed mounting proof of a worsening famine. The IPC emphasised that its warning constituted an alert and was not a proper “famine classification.”
Columbia College in New York Metropolis, which was among the many universities the Trump administration focused over allegations of antisemitism, introduced a settlement final week with the federal authorities in an effort to revive lower federal funding.
Brown College in Rhode Island mentioned Wednesday that it reached an settlement with the federal authorities to revive funding. It mentioned the settlement resolves three opinions of Brown’s “compliance with federal nondiscrimination obligations.”
