A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore hundreds of research grants at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which were suspended in July. The grants, worth over $580 million, represent about a third of the total amount frozen by the government.
The decision, made by U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California, comes after UCLA and other universities in the UC system challenged the administration’s cuts to science funding. The judge found that the government’s actions violated her earlier order blocking terminations throughout the 10-campus system.
As part of the ruling, the Trump administration must file an update by August 19 detailing whether it has restored the grants. If not, the judge wants an explanation for why it was not feasible and a description of steps taken so far.
The decision affects only about 300 NSF grants worth $81 million, but hundreds more from the National Institutes of Health and Department of Energy remain suspended. The ruling is seen as a victory for UCLA and public universities in general, which have faced criticism from the Trump administration over their handling of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
A UC spokesperson said that restoring funding is “critical” to research at the university. An NSF spokesperson confirmed that the agency had followed the court order to reinstate grants to UCLA. The decision comes as part of a broader effort by President Trump to remake American higher education and target elite universities with conservative policies.
Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-12/federal-judge-ucla-grant-freezes