The University of California, San Diego’s School of Medicine has announced the inaugural recipients of a grant program intended to help protect San Diego’s biomedical research sector.
The move – which was enabled by a $1 million gift from the Prebys Foundation – comes in response to the Trump administration sharply cutting federal funding for biomedical research.
“UC San Diego is a research powerhouse at the forefront of life-changing technological breakthroughs and medical advancements that benefit patients around the world,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla in a statement.
“We are so grateful to Prebys Foundation for their visionary support of UC San Diego researchers with the goal of allowing them to continue their groundbreaking research despite budgetary challenges facing the campus.”
The pivot grant program was designed to support early-to-mid-career researchers at UCSD conducting health-related research whose federal grants were affected during the 2024-25 fiscal year. Eligible disruptions included grant terminations, stop-work orders, delayed Notices of Award, and unexpected budget reductions.
“This program is about preserving momentum and protecting scientists,” said Barbara Jung, an associate vice chancellor and dean and principal investigator for the gift.
“When critical research is interrupted because of federal delays or cancellations, entire research teams can collapse. This program intervenes to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”
Each applicant was asked to demonstrate not only the financial effects of the disruption on their research, but also the broader risks to their scientific progress, lab operations, and research personnel.
“At Prebys Foundation, we believe in protecting the promise of science, not just the breakthroughs it produces, but the people who make them possible,” said Grant Oliphant, Prebys Foundation chief executive officer and president.
“These grants are about ensuring that bold ideas and brilliant researchers don’t get lost to circumstance. UC San Diego and the people who work there are one of the crown jewels of our region’s innovation ecosystem, and we’re proud to help keep its momentum strong.”
A list of recipients can be found here.
