States that anchor the nation’s research enterprises are moving to blunt the impact of the Trump administration’s freezes and proposed cuts to federal science funding—testing how far states need to go to safeguard labs, jobs, and long-term competitiveness.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey unveiled the Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Initiative in late July, pairing executive actions with a $400 million legislative package aimed at stabilizing university and hospital research. The plan would split funding evenly between a multi-year research pool at MassDevelopment and a bridge-funding reserve for public college campuses, and includes support for indirect costs, cross-campus collaborations, and early career researchers. It also creates a philanthropic Research Catalyst Fund and a Research Opportunity Review Board to steer funding to high-impact projects.
“Massachusetts is the global leader in innovative research and the discovery of lifesaving cures,” Healey said, adding that research funding is economic infrastructure for the state.
Lieutenant Gov. Kim Driscoll called it an innovative proposal to back game-changing scientific and medical research, while strengthening the economy.
Healey’s office ties the effort directly to the state’s outsized dependence on federal research and development dollars—$8.57 billion annually that supports 81,300 jobs and generates more than $16 billion in economic activity, according to the UMass Donahue Institute. Her administration argues the state must buffer against federal uncertainty by leveraging stabilization fund interest and Fair Share surtax revenue, while broadening eligible uses of state match dollars, including support for the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to shore up safety net care.
California’s $23 Billion Science Bond
On the West Coast, California lawmakers are pursuing a much larger proposal, a $23 billion general obligation bond, SB 607, to be put before voters in November 2026. The measure would create the California Foundation for Science and Health Research, a new public entity authorized to issue grants and loans to University of California, California State University, and other colleges and universities, as well as public and private research organizations. Priority would go to projects defunded by the federal government. Governance would include scientific peer review, annual audits, and public disclosure requirements.
“California needs to lead, and we are already a leader on science,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, the bill’s sponsor. “We should double and triple down on that leadership and make California the absolute global epicenter of scientific research and discovery.”
Scientists and trainees warned that the federal funding freezes are already disrupting lab work and patient-focused studies. At UCLA, a lung cancer research program reported suspending projects after roughly $8 million in support was halted, while graduate researchers described widespread uncertainty about jobs and the fate of long-running experiments. Supporters of SB 607 framed the measure as a bridge to keep cancer and Alzheimer’s research on track until federal funding stabilizes, according to radio station KQED.
Federal Tensions and State Response
The California push comes amid a high-profile funding standoff at UCLA. The Trump administration froze roughly $584 million in grants this summer. A federal judge has since ordered the government to restore more than $500 million, a temporary reprieve while litigation proceeds. The University of California system has warned that it could lose a significant portion of the $5.7 billion it receives annually in federal research and program support if the freeze spreads.
Policy design differs across the two states. Massachusetts is moving first with executive action and a relatively modest—but immediately actionable—$400 million package to bridge grants, retain talent, and keep core research capacity online. California is opting for a longer runway and heavier lift, a multibillion-dollar bond issuance that would build a parallel state funding channel sized to cover multi-year federal shortfalls and capital needs.
Safeguarding Research as an Economic Engine
Both approaches reflect the same calculus. With Washington utilizing research dollars as leverage to control campus speech, admissions, and other contested issues, states that rely on research as an economic engine are preparing their own safety nets.
For higher education leaders, the stakes extend beyond balance sheets. Research interruptions create a ripple effect on clinical trials, graduate training, and regional supply chains—from construction to retail—that depend on stable grant funding flows.
Whether via Massachusetts’s targeted bridge funds or California’s proposed bond issuance, these state-led interventions aim to keep labs open, people employed, and public-impact science moving—even as the politics of federal research funding grow more volatile.
