The University of California on Wednesday announced a systemwide hiring freeze to stave off layoffs and downsizing as it confronts unprecedented threats by the Trump administration to slash medical and science research funding key to its mission as the nation's premier public university system.

The University of California announced that it would implement a hiring freeze and other cost-saving measures throughout the 10-campus system, amid potential cuts to funding.

The University of California has imposed a system-wide hiring freeze and made additional cuts, its president said on Wednesday, as part of efforts to try to mitigate the impact of sharp cuts in federal funding.