Wildfire and water research grants saved as Trump EPA permanently restores $19 million to UC

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred The Environmental Protection Agency agreed to permanently restore about $19 million in University of California research grants, including studies into wildfire-smoke health effects and water management, that it canceled, according to a settlement filed in federal court Wednesday. The settlement would resolve one part of a broader lawsuit, brought by a legal team that includes UC law school professors and additional attorneys, challenging roughly $2 billion in funding cuts across seven federal agencies. Wednesday’s deal covers 24 research grants, including projects at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley. The agreement still needs the approval of U.S. District Judge Rita Lin, who previously ruled against the Trump administration in the case. Researchers’ claims against the six other agencies would continue. The EPA already reinstated the grants after Lin issued a preliminary injunction June 23, 2025. The settlement would commit the agency to funding the grants through their remaining terms, including eligible extensions, as long as recipients meet their grant requirements. For researchers, that would reduce the risk of another funding cutoff disrupting their work while the broader legal battle continues.

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