Rep. Panetta Hosts Roundtable with UC Santa Cruz on Impact of NIH Funding Freezes on Research

Santa Cruz, CA - United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) convened a roundtable discussion with leaders, professors, and researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to hear firsthand how the ongoing federal funding freeze is undermining scientific progress, educational opportunities, and workforce development in California's 19th Congressional District and beyond.

During the listening session, UCSC faculty and researchers outlined the damaging effects of the Trump Administration's funding freezes, executive orders, and arbitrary grant reviews, including delayed projects, halted research activities, frozen USDA NextGen grants, and disruptions to graduate student and faculty funding. Participants also expressed deep concern over the long-term impact on UCSC's ability to compete for federal research dollars, attract talent, and sustain innovative, community-focused research in fields like climate science, agriculture, and public health.

"This federal funding freeze is more than a bureaucratic delay, it's an assault on scientific discovery, education, and the hardworking researchers who power generational innovation in our communities," said Rep. Panetta. "The impacts we discussed today at UC Santa Cruz are a clear reminder that politics in Washington are jeopardizing the future of research and workforce development across our district. I will continue to push back against these arbitrary and harmful actions, advocate for transparency and stability, and ensure that the voices of our research institutions are heard at the highest levels."

"At UC Santa Cruz, we see firsthand the real-world impacts of federal research investment," said UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive. "With federal support, our faculty and staff are making groundbreaking advances in personalized medicine, sustainable agriculture and pioneering technologies like smart bandages. Across the UC system and at research universities nationwide, federal dollars drive innovation, create jobs, and keep the U.S. at the forefront of discovery. Slashing federal research funding threatens America's economic foundation and its educational excellence."

"NIH support fuels our local economy, supporting everyone from the researchers at UCSC and the employees who administer the grants to the small businesses they frequent - the coffee shops, the restaurants, even the construction workers building on campus and in the community," said UC Santa Cruz Professors Susan Carpenter, Needhi Bhalla, and Carol Greider. "Slashing this funding will have a devastating ripple effect, impacting jobs, local businesses and the overall prosperity of our community. It's not just about research; it's about the economic livelihoods of our community members."

Rep. Panetta has taken numerous actions to oppose the Administration's funding freezes and attacks on higher education and research, including:

• Cosponsoring the Department of Education Protection Act to block any efforts to shutter the Department of Education.
• Demanding transparency on clean energy and infrastructure projects placed on hold.
• Joining congressional coalitions opposing the NIH's proposed cap on administrative funding, which would slash vital resources for university research.
• Collecting stories from constituents, researchers, and institutions about funding challenges to inform his congressional advocacy.

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