UC president: Proposed research bond critical for scientific progress | Opinion
For the past year and a half, the University of California and our 10 campuses have faced an onslaught of lawsuits, enforcement actions, investigations and threats from the federal government, including attempts to cut and freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in medical and scientific research funding. Though some of these actions have been temporarily stayed by courts, the UC’s federal research funding remains in significant peril.
Fortunately, Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, recognized this danger and introduced Senate Bill 895 in January. This bipartisan legislation would place a $12 billion research bond on California’s November ballot. It is designed to create a long-term funding pool that researchers could access over time. The UC is a proud cosponsor of the bill, alongside the United Auto Workers, which represents UC researchers and academic workers.
By establishing a dedicated revenue source for research, this legislation will help ensure that California scholars, including those working within the UC system, can continue finding solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Some may question why it’s the state’s role to help fill this gap. But without reliable new sources of financial support, the critical research funding that has helped the UC lead the world in discovery will begin to suffer — and so will the millions of Americans who depend on us.
By putting this on the ballot in November, our state can send a clear message: We will not let the most successful research and innovation engine in the history of the world be destroyed.
We need to be clear-eyed about what’s coming: We must expect that the federal administration will continue to undermine Congress’ bipartisan appropriations to American universities, attempt to slow down funding and find new ways to derail important research work.
American universities have led the world in countless fields. Other countries have long tried to emulate us, spending decades racing to catch up. It seems inconceivable that we would relinquish this leadership that’s propelled our country. But that’s exactly what’s happening.
Just last week, the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C., issued a proposal to federal agencies to ensure that federal grant dollars “advance the president’s policy priorities.” Put simply, the federal government wants to prioritize politics over scientific research.
If enacted, this rule would further threaten vital research that benefits all Americans: Breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson’s; the science behind previously unimagined successes in fighting cancers; and the development of quantum computers that will make the necessary advancements of the 21st century possible.
The state legislature only has a few weeks left to decide if SB 895 will be on the November ballot. Their decision will have enormous consequences. No one anywhere else in the world does scientific discovery better than UC faculty. Our research is an economic engine for the state, supporting tens of thousands of good, local jobs. It propels our state’s global leadership in innovation. It delivers life-changing and life-saving medical advancements for people everywhere.
Whether or not you ever step on a UC campus or medical center, the UC system benefits people everywhere, in every corner of California, across the country and around the world.
On behalf of the best faculty and researchers in the world, we urge state legislators to get this bond on the ballot.
James B. Milliken is president of the University of California.
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "UC president: Proposed research bond critical for scientific progress | Opinion."