The University of California (UC) achieved a significant milestone this week, with faculty and alumni receiving five Nobel Prizes across three days. This accomplishment brings the total number of Nobel Prizes awarded to UC faculty to 75 and marks the first time in Nobel history that four faculty members from one institution have won in a single year.
On Monday, Frederick J. Ramsdell, an alumnus of UC San Diego and UCLA, was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work identifying cells that prevent the immune system from attacking the body’s own tissues. The following day, John Clarke (UC Berkeley emeritus professor), John Martinis (UC Santa Barbara emeritus professor), and Michel Devoret (UC Santa Barbara professor) received the physics prize for experiments foundational to quantum computing. On Wednesday, Omar Yaghi, a UC Berkeley professor, shared the chemistry prize for developing molecular structures capable of cleaning pollutants from air or extracting water from arid environments.
“These awards are not only great honors — they are tangible evidence of the work happening across the University of California every day to expand knowledge, test the boundaries of science, and conduct research that improves our lives. I’m proud to see their work recognized,” said UC President James B. Milliken.
Federal funding played a crucial role in supporting these scientific achievements. Ramsdell’s research was backed by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis received support from agencies including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and National Security Administration. Yaghi’s projects were funded by several federal agencies as well.
The federal government is responsible for about 40 percent of basic research spending in the United States. Academic laboratories conducted nearly half of all basic research and 16 percent of applied research in 2021.
W. Patrick McCray, a science historian at UC Santa Barbara, commented on America’s investment in science: “This whole history isn’t just about the money, but the ambition behind it. The United States built big particle accelerators, big research vessels, big telescopes. Those were all attractive things for people in other countries to come here to get their degrees, and then maybe stay and start a company that builds U.S. prosperity.”
Omar Yaghi reflected on his experience with federal grants: “Allowed us, and challenged us, to not just do rigorous science, but also creative science… these grants allowed me to do it. So federal grants played a major role in the initial discoveries that led to this amazing field.”
Despite these successes, recent disruptions threaten ongoing scientific progress at universities nationwide due to canceled or delayed federal grants throughout 2025. While some funding has been restored at UC campuses, uncertainty continues as further cuts are considered for upcoming budgets.
“This is going to cripple science, and it is going to be disastrous if this continues,” said Clarke regarding potential reductions in federal support for scientific research. He added that recovery from current setbacks could take up to a decade.
The University of California is urging citizens and policymakers alike to prioritize investment in scientific research as critical questions remain unanswered across fields such as quantum computing and immunology.
