In a move sending shockwaves through the academic world, the Trump administration has imposed a significant freeze on nearly $200 million in federal science, medical, and other research grants allocated to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). This unprecedented action cites the university’s alleged “discrimination” in admissions and its purported failure to “promote a research environment free of antisemitism,” raising critical questions about academic autonomy and government oversight.

This decisive action follows stern warnings from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department, which indicated that UCLA would face severe repercussions for demonstrating “deliberate indifference” to the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students. These complaints surfaced prominently in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, and the ensuing wave of campus protests that characterized the past year.

Significantly, this funding cancellation marks the first large-scale, targeted financial claw-back initiated by the Trump administration against UCLA. Previously, the White House’s focus on reshaping higher education policy primarily centered on prestigious East Coast institutions such as Columbia, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania, all of whom have recently reached agreements with the government concerning issues like admissions practices, Jewish student life, student discipline, antisemitism training, and gender identity policies in sports.

A letter dispatched to UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk on Wednesday from the National Science Foundation (NSF) explicitly detailed the termination of grants. The NSF’s reasoning stated that “the University of California – Los Angeles continues to engage in race discrimination including in its admissions process, and in other areas of student life,” underscoring the federal government’s firm stance.

The financial impact is substantial: an estimated 300 NSF grants, totaling $180 million, have been formally canceled. While approximately half of these funds had already been disbursed, researchers were anticipating the release of the remaining portion before the NSF letter’s release on Thursday. Chancellor Frenk’s own communication on Thursday acknowledged the involvement of NSF, NIH, and other federal agencies in the canceled grants, with a partial list reviewed by The Times corroborating the approximate $200 million total.

In his communication, Chancellor Frenk conveyed the university’s position, stating, “In its notice to us, the federal government claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons.” He emphatically added that “This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination,” highlighting the potential detrimental effects on critical scientific advancements and public welfare.

This development at UCLA is not isolated, echoing recent federal pressures on other prominent universities. Harvard University, for instance, saw billions of dollars in federal grants canceled earlier this spring and is actively seeking to reverse these terminations while also combating a Trump administration move to rescind its ability to host international students. Similarly, Columbia University recently agreed to a payment to the federal government to resolve investigations into alleged antisemitism linked to its response to 2024 pro-Palestinian protests, and Brown University reached a $50-million agreement for Rhode Island workforce development programs.

The Department of Justice this week confirmed its findings that UCLA had violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students and indicated a desire for the university to enter negotiations to avert a federal lawsuit. Responding to this, Stett Holbrook, UCLA’s associate director of Strategic and Critical Communications, affirmed in a Wednesday statement that “UCLA has addressed and will continue to address the issues raised in [the] Department of Justice notice,” referencing a $6.45-million settlement the university reached with Jewish students who had sued over claims of discrimination during the 2024 encampment.

Chancellor Frenk concluded by emphasizing the national importance of federal research grants, asserting, “Federal research grants are not handouts. Our researchers compete fiercely for these grants, proposing work that the government itself deems vital to the country’s health, safety and economic future.” He underscored that these grants are crucial for “medical breakthroughs, economic advancement, improved national security and global competitiveness,” assuring that UCLA is “actively evaluating our best course of action” and will maintain “constant communication as decisions move forward.”