White House used keywords to kill billions worth of California research grants
4 hours ago
- The Trump administration used keyword searches (e.g., diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19) to terminate over 1,000 University of California research grants worth nearly $2 billion, rather than reviewing them individually.
- UC researchers' lawyers argue this violated the First Amendment by targeting politically disfavored research, the Constitution by punishing researchers based on states' voting patterns, and Congress's spending directives by not redirecting funds as required.
- A federal judge has issued preliminary injunctions restoring grants, and the plaintiffs now seek a final ruling; the government may appeal, and stakes include harm to researchers, careers, and global research standing.