Trump’s Budget Cuts, Brain Drain, & UCSD’s Research Future | Chancellor Pradeep Khosla

Are federal budget cuts threatening America’s leadership in science and technology? In this episode of 72 and Sunny, Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) sits down with UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla to discuss the critical role of federal research funding, NIH grants, and what happens when Washington threatens to slash university science budgets. From San Diego's $54 billion biotech ecosystem to China actively recruiting top U.S. faculty and National Academy members, Chancellor Khosla breaks down the real-world impact of proposed 15% caps on university overhead/indirect costs, delayed grant payments, and strict immigration policies. Plus, Congressman Peters answers constituent questions regarding mail-in voting security and bipartisan efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). 00:00 - Introduction & The Cost of Overhead 00:48 - Welcome to 72 and Sunny with Rep. Scott Peters 01:05 - UCSD's Rise & $1.8B Science Research Engine 02:28 - How Federal Research Funding & NIH Grants Work 04:52 - Constituent Q&A: Mail-In Voting & USPS Integrity 07:05 - San Diego's $54B Life Sciences & Biotech Hub 11:26 - Federal Threats: Caps on Overhead/Indirect Costs Explained 16:59 - Constituent Q&A: Bipartisan AI Regulation & Frontier Act 20:00 - Grant Delays, Frozen Clinical Trials, & Budget Uncertainty 23:00 - Immigration, Brain Drain, & China Poaching U.S. Scientists 27:27 - Closing Remarks: Defending American Science Subscribe to stay informed on solutions-oriented, non-partisan conversations shaping San Diego and our country. #ScottPeters #PradeepKhosla #UCSD #SanDiego #ScienceFunding #NIH #AI #72AndSunny