The University of California (UC) has achieved a significant milestone, with faculty and alumni winning five Nobel Prizes in the span of three days. This achievement 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 awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine alongside collaborators from Seattle and Japan for identifying cells that prevent the immune system from attacking its own tissues.
The following day, John Clarke, emeritus professor at UC Berkeley; John Martinis, emeritus professor at UC Santa Barbara; and Michel Devoret, professor at UC Santa Barbara, were recognized with the physics prize for their experiments underpinning modern quantum computers.
On Wednesday, Omar Yaghi, a professor at UC Berkeley, shared the chemistry prize with colleagues from Australia and Japan for developing a new type of molecular architecture capable of cleaning pollutants from the atmosphere 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 these scientific achievements. The National Institutes of Health supported Ramsdell’s early research into immune system disorders. Clarke, Devoret and Martinis advanced their quantum mechanics studies with support from agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and National Security Administration. Yaghi’s chemistry research has received over a dozen federal grants from agencies such as NSF, DOE and Department of Defense.
Federal government funding accounts for about 40 percent of basic research spending in the United States. Academic laboratories perform a substantial share of this work—45 percent of basic research and 16 percent of applied research as recently as 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 own experience: “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, federal support for scientific research faces challenges. In 2025 alone thousands of research grants were canceled or delayed across hundreds of universities due to federal budget issues. While some funding has been restored for UC projects, ongoing uncertainty threatens studies related to aging, addiction, obesity and more. Proposed budget cuts could further reduce resources available for scientific inquiry.
“This is going to cripple science, and it is going to be disastrous if this continues,” said Clarke regarding potential cuts by Congress. He added that disruptions already experienced may take years to overcome: “It may take a decade to get back to where we were.”
The University of California is encouraging citizens to advocate for continued investment in scientific leadership by urging lawmakers not to approve drastic reductions in research funding.
