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Sen. Scott Wiener on Friday proposed a $23 billion bond measure to bolster scientific research in California, framing the effort as a response to mass federal funding cuts to universities, government agencies, and research institutions.
The measure, backed by the University of California and the United Auto Workers, would fund research grants, loans, and facilities focused on health, agriculture, pandemic preparedness, and wildfire resilience. If approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bond will appear on the November 2026 ballot.
Soon after coming into office last January, President Donald Trump ordered a temporary pause (opens in new tab) on federal spending — including research grants, threatening scientific research across the Bay Area. Cuts affected projects at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (opens in new tab) and UCSF last year, including shingles vaccine research (opens in new tab).
Wiener selected the $23 billion bond amount to match the estimated losses the University of California would face over four years of federal science funding cuts under Trump, according to his spokesperson Erik Mebust.
The bond would create a new California Foundation for Science and Health Research to administer the funding. Researchers and research institutions would be eligible to apply for grants from the new foundation in a competitive process similar to those from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.
Funding would be available to both research institutions and independent researchers, but would require proof of research experience and access to research facilities, among other requirements. Funding caps have yet to be determined, Mebust said.
The bill includes provisions aimed at lowering health care costs for Californians.
Pharmaceuticals developed with bond-funded research would be sold at a discount in the state, and the government could recoup a share of licensing and royalty revenue from successful drugs. The measure would also allow the state to manufacture certain drugs through the state-run pharmacy program CalRx (opens in new tab) and sell them at cost to residents and at a profit to other states.
Wiener is currently campaigning for Nancy Pelosi’s congressional seat and has made increasing healthcare access a key cornerstone of his argument to voters.
“Science has fueled California’s prosperity for decades. Now, it’s time to spread the benefits of that prosperity to all Californians, preserving our scientific leadership while lowering health care costs for families,” Wiener said in a statement
The UC received $5 billion (opens in new tab) in total federal research funding in 2024. UCSF is San Francisco’s second-largest employer (opens in new tab) with 29,475 employees, according to a 2025 city financial report.
“Reductions in federal funding are already disrupting critical UC research that supports thousands of jobs, drives medical innovation, and leads to life-changing solutions that benefit everyone,” UC President James B. Milliken said in a press release.
The life sciences industry supports about 1.15 million jobs in California and generates nearly $396 billion in economic output, according to the (opens in new tab)Life Science Association of California (opens in new tab).
