The University of California (UC) has achieved a new milestone, with faculty and alumni winning five Nobel Prizes in the span of three days. This 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 received the award in a single year.
On Monday, Frederick J. Ramsdell, an alumnus of UC San Diego and UCLA, was recognized with the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work identifying cells that prevent the immune system from attacking its own tissues. On Tuesday, John Clarke (UC Berkeley emeritus professor), John Martinis (UC Santa Barbara emeritus professor), and Michel Devoret (UC Santa Barbara professor) were awarded the physics prize for experiments foundational to modern quantum computers. On Wednesday, Omar Yaghi, a UC Berkeley professor, shared the chemistry prize for developing molecular structures capable of cleaning pollutants or harvesting 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 key role in supporting these achievements. Ramsdell’s study on genetic mutations linked to immune disorders was backed by grants from the National Institutes of Health. The research by Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis into quantum mechanics received support from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy. Yaghi’s chemistry innovations were funded through multiple federal grants.
According to recent data, federal agencies provide about 40 percent of all U.S. spending on basic scientific research during its early stages; universities account for nearly half of this basic research activity nationwide.
“This whole history isn’t just about the money, but the ambition behind it,” said W. Patrick McCray, science historian at UC Santa Barbara. “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 emphasized how federal support enabled creative scientific exploration: “Allowed us, and challenged us, to not just do rigorous science but also creative science.” He added that federal grants “were absolutely key in enabling me to go off in my own direction… So federal grants played a major role in the initial discoveries that led to this amazing field.”
Despite these successes, concerns have arisen over future funding levels for scientific research in America. In 2025 alone, thousands of grant cancellations or delays affected hundreds of universities nationwide due to changes in federal budget priorities; while some projects at UC saw restored funding later on, ongoing uncertainty threatens vital studies related to health issues such as aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
“This is going to cripple science, and it is going to be disastrous if this continues,” said Clarke regarding potential further cuts proposed by current administration budget requests before Congress—some targeting reductions up to fifty percent for certain agencies.
University leaders are urging citizens and lawmakers alike not only to recognize recent achievements but also advocate renewed investment into American scientific leadership: “It’s time to reinvest in U.S. scientific leadership.”
