UC Berkeley researchers team up for first-of-its-kind lawsuit over Trump funding cuts - NBC News

UC Berkeley Researchers Team Up for First-of-Its-Kind Lawsuit Over Trump Funding Cuts

A coalition of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has launched a groundbreaking lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging what they claim are damaging cuts to critical research funding. The suit names President Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency, and 16 federal agencies as defendants, marking an unprecedented step by university faculty to protect their work and the future of scientific advancement.

The lawsuit highlights the severe impact of these funding cuts on various fields, from biomedical research to climate science, and accuses the administration of jeopardizing the health and economic well-being of Americans. Stett Holbrook, a UC system spokesman, stated in an email, "These cuts threaten to stifle lifesaving biomedical research, hobble U.S. economic competitiveness and jeopardize the health of Americans who depend on cutting-edge medical science and innovation. Appeals to grants are being handled on a case-by-case basis."

Peter Lake, director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University, emphasizes the significance of faculty-led legal action. “It makes a really powerful statement that the professors themselves are stakeholders and that it’s just not the institutions alone,” he said. “It’s a way of saying, ‘Well, if you’re slow to the battlefield, we’re going to get there first.’”

The Impact on UC Berkeley

The University of California system, a major recipient of federal research dollars, has been particularly hard hit. Here are some key facts:

• $4 billion: The cumulative amount of federal research funding received by UC schools last year.
• Hundreds of Millions: The estimated amount of funding lost due to the cuts, leading to a hiring freeze in February.

Early in his presidency, Trump issued executive orders to halt funding for programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as green energy initiatives. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, also canceled numerous grants it deemed wasteful. Researchers who had already received grant approvals, often in the midst of multi-year investigations, were notified that their funding would be terminated immediately.

Voices of the Plaintiffs

The lawsuit features several lead plaintiffs who have experienced firsthand the devastating effects of these cuts:

• Jedda Foreman: Director of the Center for Environmental Learning at the Lawrence Hall of Science, lost over $6 million from nine grant cancellations. Some of this funding supported projects aimed at broadening interest in science education across diverse communities.
• Christine Philliou: History professor, lost a $250,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study Greek Orthodox Christians in 19th century Turkey. The grant was canceled with minimal explanation, leaving her team "flabbergasted."
• Ken Alex: Director of Project Climate, UC Berkeley Law, had his EPA-funded study on using drones and robots to monitor methane emissions from landfills cut off. The EPA stated that the study no longer met government priorities.

Researchers like Polsky lament that appealing individual grant cancellations is like “trying to prop individual trees back up when the entire forest is being lit on fire.”

Beyond Funding Cuts

The Trump administration's scrutiny of UC Berkeley extends beyond research funding. The university also faces:

• A federal investigation into how the UC system addressed allegations of antisemitic incidents.
• A probe into UC Berkeley’s finances by the Department of Education.
• Demands from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for information on over 800 faculty members who signed open letters about student activism related to Israel.

These actions have created a climate of unease among faculty members. Poulomi Saha, an associate professor of English at UC Berkeley, noted, "Never in the 12 years I have been at Berkeley have I seen this much faculty agreement about anything, period."

If certified as a class action, the lawsuit could encompass any UC faculty members or researchers whose funding has been terminated since Trump returned to office, amplifying its impact and potentially paving the way for a broader challenge to the administration's research policies.

This lawsuit represents more than just a legal battle; it's a fight for the future of scientific inquiry and the vital role universities play in driving innovation and progress. The outcome will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the academic community and the nation as a whole.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-funding-cuts-uc-berkeley-reseachers-lawsuit-rcna206667