Why is the Trump administration suspending UCLA's research funding over antisemitism claims?

Los Angeles, Aug 2 (NationPress) The Trump administration has decided to suspend federal research funding for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), recognized as one of the premier public universities in the U.S., due to allegations of antisemitism and bias, as reported by the university's chancellor.

UCLA has received a notification indicating that the federal government, through its agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is halting specific research funding for the university, stated Chancellor Julio Frenk in a statement Thursday.

According to the statement, “This represents not just a setback for researchers depending on essential grants, but also for Americans nationwide whose health, work, and future hinge on the pioneering research we conduct.”

Frenk emphasized that “hundreds of grants may be lost, adversely impacting the lives and transformative projects of UCLA's researchers, faculty, and staff” as a result of Washington's choice, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

Approximately 300 grants totaling nearly $200 million have been suspended, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“In its communication to us, the federal government cites antisemitism and bias as the reasons. This extensive penalty of cutting funding for life-saving research does nothing to tackle the alleged discrimination,” the chancellor added.

Frenk noted that the university “has implemented strong measures to create a safe and welcoming environment for every student.”

This funding suspension follows a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, which accused UCLA of being “deliberately indifferent” to the widespread harassment of Jewish and Israeli students during pro-Palestinian protests in 2024.

Earlier this week, the university agreed to pay $6.45 million to resolve a lawsuit concerning the treatment of Jewish students and a professor during these protests.

UCLA has now joined the ranks of other leading universities facing scrutiny from the federal government over claims of insufficient action against antisemitism on campus.

Just last week, Columbia University announced an agreement to pay over $200 million to the federal government to reinstate its federal funding after facing investigations regarding antisemitism on campus.

Another Ivy League institution, Brown University, reached a $50 million agreement with the Trump administration after being investigated for its treatment of Jewish students on campus and the consideration of race in its admissions processes.

In March, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights sent letters to 60 universities, including prominent institutions like Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, and Stanford, concerning investigations into alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment on their campuses.