UCLA Researchers Decry Trump Administration Funding Cuts at Protest

Introduction to the Protest

Ushered down the street by sympathetic drivers honking their car horns, hundreds of protesters from UCLA marched through Westwood on Tuesday as part of a national day of demonstration against the Trump administration’s cuts to National Institutes of Health research funding. The “Kill the Cuts” gatherings, organized by a coalition of labor unions, unfolded at 37 sites across the country. They were meant to draw attention to President Trump’s decision to halt billions of dollars in funding from the NIH. As with other institutions of higher education, the University of California has relied on these and other federal funds to power research on cancer, diabetes and many other diseases.

Impact on Researchers

At UCLA, researchers emerged from their labs and offices and gathered in Bruin Plaza to speak about how the cuts — many targeting programs that include diversity, equity and inclusion efforts — will affect their livelihoods. Elisa Pabon said she was Colombian American and had received funding via NIH initiatives meant to promote diversity and aid scholars from underrepresented communities — programs that she said have been eliminated by Trump.
“I would not be standing here in front of you today if none of those funding mechanisms existed,” said Pabon, 30, whose behavioral pharmacology research focuses on the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids from a women’s health perspective. “That’s devastating. Because those programs are investments in people — in their future, in their potential. And they’re being ripped away.”
Elisa Pabon, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA, spoke on campus Tuesday at a protest over the Trump administration’s cuts to National Institutes of Health funding.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
And, she said, her work will soon be put on ice. Pabon, who is affiliated with the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, is about midway through an Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award fellowship. But she learned this month that financial support will end in August.

Consequences of Funding Cuts

“I’m devastated,” Pabon told The Times ahead of the protest. She said that if she cannot find another funding source, she “will likely file for unemployment — and nobody’s going to hire a postdoc.” The reductions have targeted studies on LGBTQ+ health, HIV, gender identity and vaccines, among other areas. Many cuts are tied to programs that directly or tangentially promote diversity among researchers or the study of issues that affect racial minorities.

Protest and Rally

In searing speeches, Pabon and others excoriated the Trump administration, but also urged attendees to take action, saying that lawmakers needed to hear about their dire circumstances — and the consequences of inaction. Some in the audience held signs passed out by organizers that read, “Kill the Cuts, Save Science.” There were wry homemade versions too, such as one that said, “Science. The reason you’re not dead yet.” Throughout the rally, speakers paused as the crowd chanted “Shame! Shame! Shame!”

Response from Universities

In response to the cuts, UCLA, USC and other campuses have canceled some research efforts or rescinded some doctoral candidate and postdoctoral research position offers. Anticipating broad, across-the-board reductions in government funding, potential increased taxes on endowments, and a decline in international student enrollment under the Trump administration, campuses have also instituted across-the-board hiring freezes. In a statement, a spokesperson for the University of California said it “values the federal investment in research and its role in driving economic growth and innovation across the nation,” and urged the Trump administration to “reinstate funding for these research grants and for Congress to continue to provide robust funding for federal research agencies and programs that improve and save lives.”

Trump Administration’s Decision

The Trump administration’s biggest slashing came Feb. 7, when the NIH said it would reduce by $4 billion the annual overhead funding given to universities for medical research grants. The agency capped “indirect” funding at 15% of grants, down from roughly 60% that many California universities receive. Instead of an additional $60,000 on top of every $100,000 grant, money given for overhead would go down to $15,000. Universities use such funds to cover electricity, internet, maintenance, administrative help and, in some labs, food and cage cleaning for mice.
The “Kill the Cuts” protest at UCLA was part of a national day of action decrying the Trump administration’s slashing of NIH funding.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Effects on Researchers’ Work

The Trump administration has argued that overhead fees are wasteful and implied that universities could tap into endowments to make up the losses. Campus leaders have responded that their endowments had limitations because many donors gave money only for specific specialties or departments. Sydney Campbell, a cancer researcher and postdoctoral scholar at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, said Monday that she had started to worry about the fate of her research in February, when she saw a social media post about the 15% cap. Campbell, who studies how diet affects the development of cancer, said it’s unclear how the cuts will affect the lab where she works — it has not lost any grants — but she is concerned about possible changes.

Support from Faculty and Staff

“Indirects are really important for our ability to do science,” said Campbell, 34, who attended the rally. “We have building space we don’t pay rent for. There are the refrigeration services and the ventilation services we need to do our specialized work. Our indirect costs go to support that.” UCLA political science professor Michael Chwe held a sign at the protest that said the university’s faculty and staff stood with its students. “The cuts to science, STEM funding and health research funding really threaten to undermine entire generations’ worth of progress in science, medicine and health,” he said. “We really need to preserve the health of our university.”

Legal Challenge

A legal challenge from nearly two dozen states has sought to reverse the drastic scaling back in NIH funding. California, Democratic-led states and academic groups sued the administration in a Massachusetts federal court in February, winning a halt to the NIH cuts. On Tuesday, the Trump administration said it was appealing the decision to the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.

Conclusion

But the ongoing uncertainty has riled researchers. Tara Kerin, a project scientist who works in pediatric infectious disease research at the Geffen School, told the crowd that “these cuts were made with no thought, no foresight and no reason.”
“This is an attack on science and health for all of us,” said Kerin, 47, whose work has partly focused on HIV prevention and detection in young adults. “The research done by all of us here today help billions of people all over the world. … The cancellation of these NIH grants will not only impact current developments, but also delays future innovations.”
Tara Kerin, a project scientist, spoke at the rally on the UCLA campus Tuesday.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

FAQs

Q: What is the main reason for the protest at UCLA?
A: The main reason for the protest at UCLA is the Trump administration’s cuts to National Institutes of Health research funding.
Q: How many sites across the country participated in the “Kill the Cuts” gatherings?
A: The “Kill the Cuts” gatherings unfolded at 37 sites across the country.
Q: What type of research does Elisa Pabon focus on?
A: Elisa Pabon’s research focuses on the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids from a women’s health perspective.
Q: What is the consequence of the Trump administration’s decision to cap “indirect” funding at 15% of grants?
A: The consequence is that universities will receive less money for overhead costs, such as electricity, internet, and maintenance.
Q: What is the response from the University of California to the Trump administration’s cuts?
A: The University of California values the federal investment in research and urges the Trump administration to reinstate funding for research grants.