Trump suspends UCLA grants after rights probe

The federal govt is suspending certain research funding to the University of California at Los Angeles, citing concerns about antisemitism and bias on campus, according UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk.

In a message to students and staff, Frenk said the freeze could affect hundreds of grants from agencies including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He called the decision a blow to researchers and the broader public who benefit from their work in areas such as medical innovation and space exploration. "This far-reaching penalty of de-funding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination," Frenk said in the message on Thursday. The Los Angeles Times reported that the suspended grants are worth roughly $200 million.

The funding freeze follows a federal investigation that found UCLA violated federal civil rights laws by failing to address antisemitic harassment on campus. This week, the department of justice's civil rights division said the university acted with "deliberate indifference" to reports of abuse targeting Jewish and Israeli students since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing conflict. The department cited UCLA for failing to meet its legal obligations under the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Frenk said the university has contingency plans in place to protect students, faculty and staff.