How Budget Cuts will Impact Santa Cruz and Research

In a powerful letter to the community (Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 20, 2025), UC Santa Cruz faculty members Needhi Bhalla, Susan Carpenter, and Nobel Laureate Carol Greider raise urgent concerns about recent cuts to federal biomedical research funding by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. These cuts target the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a longstanding bipartisan institution that has supported scientific discovery, education, and local economies for over 70 years. The potential loss of NIH funding threatens $59 million in research projects, $145 million in local economic impact, and countless jobs in Santa Cruz. The authors warn that beyond UCSC, the cuts undermine scientific freedom, student training, and the broader economy, urging the public to speak out and protect this critical support.

These issues will be front and center at Santa Cruz Works’ event on April 2 at Chaminade, titled Beaches, Books, Budgets, and Bots. The event will feature a Fireside Chat with thought leaders discussing the local and global implications of funding cuts, technological advances, and the future of education, research, and innovation.