How the Loss of Federal Funding Impacts America: Insights from UCLA’s Chancellor

Message from Chancellor Frenk to the Bruin Community

Dear Bruins,

I want to share some serious news. UCLA has been notified that the federal government is suspending some critical research funding due to concerns related to antisemitism and bias. This decision affects not just our researchers, but countless individuals nationwide who benefit from our work.

Let me illustrate this with a story. Thirteen years ago, Dr. Abbas Ardehali, a UCLA professor, changed transplant medicine forever. He performed the first lung transplant using the Organ Care System, which keeps lungs functioning outside the body before surgery. Instead of transporting organs on ice, his innovation breathes life into them. Today, his team continues to explore ways to revive and repair organs, saving lives every day—including that of a local grandfather and carpenter who helped build UCLA’s medical center.

This story reflects what UCLA stands for: research that transforms lives through compassion. Our work connects deeply with the community, impacting real people across the nation.

Great universities, like UCLA, link disciplines and communities, turning ideas into real action. For example, NASA and NSF support our planetary scientists searching for asteroids that could threaten Earth. Meanwhile, our Valley Fever Center, funded by the NIH, aims to improve understanding and treatment of this invasive disease. Additionally, UCLA researchers helped create the Internet and are now developing technologies to safeguard our troops.

This funding cut is disappointing. It puts hundreds of potentially life-saving grants at risk and does not address the issues it claims to target. Antisemitism has no place at UCLA or anywhere. We are committed to efforts that ensure a safe and inclusive environment.

Earlier this year, we established the Office of Campus and Community Safety and launched an Initiative to Combat Antisemitism. This initiative is crucial to my commitment to make UCLA a place of learning for everyone, no matter their background.

Federal research grants are vital, not just for UCLA, but for the entire country. Researchers work hard to secure support for projects deemed essential to our nation’s health and economic future. Medical advancements and improved national security stem from this research.

In light of recent developments, we are prepared with plans to protect our faculty, students, and staff. Together with the UC Board of Regents and the UC Office of the President, we are evaluating how best to respond and will keep you informed.

Our motto, Fiat Lux—Let there be light—captures our spirit. I see this light in every student with dreams and every researcher pushing boundaries.

UCLA has faced challenges before, and we have always moved forward with courage.

We are One UCLA.

Julio Frenk
Chancellor

For more insights into the impact of research funding, you can refer to recent reports from the National Science Foundation.

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