In June of this year, President Donald Trump and his administration’s funding cuts struck the west coast and our University of California system again. Approximately $584 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation to UCLA were paused. While preliminary injunctions have temporarily reinstated most of the grants, the administration’s cuts to UC’s research as a whole is a threat to UCI, a R1 research university.
There is no way to quantify the effects UCI research has and continues to have on our world. While there are records and real-world examples of how our research has changed the world, the slower developments are just as impactful. The long-term research projects that have been in the works for decades require years of reliable grants and funding. Although their immediate importance may not be apparent, they are vital nonetheless.
If funding is at risk, there is no way to know which discoveries will go unfound and the life-saving developments that would go undiscovered. Federal freezing may have some immediate and evident impacts within two weeks, however, the consequences of these freezes 10 years down the line are still unknown.
The remarkable advancements and real-world solutions from UCI research comes from stable, reliable funding. When federal university funds are manipulated, it jeopardizes the future of the world’s health.
Editor’s note: Editorials should not be interpreted to reflect the opinion, thoughts or beliefs of any individual New University editor, staff member or affiliate.