Trump Administration Suspends UC Berkeley Research Grants Despite Court Orders

The Trump administration’s National Science Foundation (NSF) has once again suspended multiple research grants awarded to UC Berkeley, including a $1.4 million project showcasing Indigenous Ohlone knowledge at the Lawrence Hall of Science. This suspension flies in the face of a federal court injunction that previously restored canceled grants, highlighting a troubling pattern of executive overreach and disregard for judicial rulings.

Jedda Foreman, associate director at the Lawrence Hall of Science and leader of the suspended project, revealed that the NSF sent a letter raising concerns about “foreign funding” but provided no further details. Foreman emphasized that the project received no foreign funds and criticized the lack of transparency and explanation. “The grantees were given near-zero information about what was problematic in the execution of their grant,” said Claudia Polsky, a UC Berkeley law professor representing the affected researchers in a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s mass grant cancellations.

This legal battle has seen some victories. Last June, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin issued a preliminary injunction blocking the NSF, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Endowment for the Humanities from revoking grants without specific explanations or for reasons tied to Trump’s anti-diversity executive orders. However, the recent suspensions suggest the administration is attempting to circumvent these court orders by freezing grants under different pretenses.

The stakes are high. UC Berkeley received $525 million in NSF grants for the 2024-25 budget year, but the agency has become increasingly volatile under Trump’s second term. Nearly 2,000 grants nationwide have been terminated for allegedly failing to align with the administration’s priorities, particularly those involving diversity, equity, and inclusion. The president also fired the entire 22-member independent board overseeing the NSF and proposed slashing its budget by more than half in 2027—a move Congress has so far rejected.

Other federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, and Environmental Protection Agency, have also canceled research grants en masse, many of which are now being contested in court. UC researchers argue that these actions amount to politically motivated attacks on scientific inquiry and academic freedom, undermining critical research and innovation.

UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof stated that the university is “engaged with the government on matters pertaining to research grants” and remains committed to complying with federal laws, but declined to comment on the specifics or impact of the suspensions.

As the Trump administration continues to weaponize federal funding to punish research that does not align with its agenda, the future of independent, diverse scientific inquiry at top institutions like UC Berkeley hangs in the balance. The suspension of the Ohlone knowledge exhibit project, which aims to inspire Indigenous youth to pursue STEM careers, underscores the human cost of this political interference.

This ongoing assault on academic freedom and scientific research demands urgent attention. We will keep tracking these developments as the legal challenges unfold and the Trump administration’s efforts to control and politicize federal research funding escalate.