Trump administration cuts UCLA research grants
Trump administration freezes UCLA research grants
The Trump administration has frozen $200 million in federal UCLA medical and science research funding Friday accusing the university of failing to stem antisemitism on its campus.
LOS ANGELES - The Trump administration has frozen $200 million in federal research funding for UCLA, accusing the university of failing to address antisemitism on its campus.
The backstory:
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, many UCLA students complained of antisemitic incidents on campus. These complaints grew during Israel's subsequent war in Gaza and escalated during campus protests that began in May of last year.
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What they're saying:
UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk issued a campus-wide message criticizing the decision.
"This is not only a loss to the researchers who rely on critical grants," he said. "It is a loss for Americans across the nation whose work, health, and future depend on the groundbreaking work we do."
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In a statement, Faculty for Justice in Palestine at UCLA rejected the administration's rationale.
"We reject this cynical weaponization of antisemitism, and the misinformation campaign spinning calls for Palestinian freedom as antisemitic," the group said. "We must name this for what it is: a thinly-veiled attempt to punish supporters of Palestinian freedom, and to advance the long-standing conservative goal of dismantling higher education."
What we know:
President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi had stated earlier in the week that the university would face consequences for its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students, which they have now acted upon by freezing the research funds.
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The Source: This report is based on a statement from the Trump administration, direct quotes from UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk's campus-wide message, and a statement from the Faculty for Justice in Palestine at UCLA. It also includes context from student complaints about antisemitic incidents on campus.