An EPA settlement awaiting court approval would keep 24 UC grants worth about $19 million funded through their remaining terms and eligible extensions if recipients meet grant requirements. The awards include wildfire-smoke and water-management studies.
The Trump administration had canceled the grants, but the EPA reinstated them after U.S. District Judge Rita Lin issued a preliminary injunction on June 23, 2025. The 24 awards involve 35 researchers at several UC campuses, including UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley. Under the settlement, EPA could still cancel funding if recipients violate grant terms, but would have to provide an individualized explanation; the agency denies liability or wrongdoing.
The settlement would resolve only EPA’s part of a lawsuit over roughly $2 billion in cuts across seven agencies; claims against six continue. Researchers alleged the administration targeted work perceived as related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court last month to review a May 2026 appeals ruling upholding part of Lin’s injunction; the justices have not decided whether to hear the case. Lin set an Oct. 20 hearing on Energy Department cuts; the department acknowledged selecting grants for cancellation in October 2025 based solely on the political identity of recipients’ states.
