UC Berkeley researcher complains about ‘derailing’ of academic careers amid review of DEI grants

Kendra Dahmer, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, currently holds a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that is intended to support her research through the summer of 2026. However, she expressed concerns that the funding may be in jeopardy due to the administration’s efforts to eliminate DEI-related initiatives.

Dahmer claimed that restrictions on DEI initiatives could “derail” academic careers. Her research at Berkeley focuses on environmental surveillance for intestinal parasites in India and Benin. She noted that her funding comes from a diversity supplement, which she received as a “diverse individual. According to the Associated Press, she was eligible for diversity-based funding because she is a first-generation college graduate and a woman.

“There’s also this aspect of research that funds specific studies in specific populations that are now being deemed DEI,” Dahmer claimed. “So, like HIV research in Africa may be deemed DEI, malaria research, which also happens in low and middle income countries, may be considered DEI. And these are really important diseases that kill hundreds of thousands of people every year.”

Last month, Trump signed an executive order targeting DEI initiatives, which the White House has labeled “illegal.” The administration has pushed to eliminate DEI-related hiring, promotions, and performance reviews in federal agencies and instead prioritize things like skills, performance, and hard work.

The order stated, “It is the policy of the United States to protect the civil rights of all Americans and to promote individual initiative, excellence, and hard work. I therefore order all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements. I further order all agencies to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.”

After taking office, the White House temporarily froze federal grants and loans to conduct a review, though the freeze was later rescinded. The pause raised concerns among scientists and researchers who rely on federal funding. Despite this, the Trump administration has continued to argue for the need to cut back on DEI-related funding, stating that grants should prioritize merit and research content rather than physical attributes or identity-based criteria.