UCLA Faces $300M Federal Grant Freeze Over Bias Claims

The Trump administration has suspended or revoked over $300 million in federal research funding to UCLA, citing the university's alleged failure to address antisemitism, race discrimination, illegal affirmative action, and gender discrimination in athletics, particularly after pro-Palestinian protests following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Energy claim UCLA was 'deliberately indifferent' to harassment of Jewish and Israeli students. Chancellor Julio Frenk criticized the decision, warning it would harm researchers and the public. Critics, including faculty and student groups, view the move as a politicized effort to punish support for Palestinian causes and undermine higher education. Similar crackdowns have recently targeted other elite universities, such as Harvard, Columbia, and Brown. UCLA recently settled a $6.45 million lawsuit over antisemitism claims and has implemented new anti-discrimination measures.