The CITRIS Seed Funding Program issues competitive awards that advance information technology research for societal benefit and catalyze proof-of-concept results that can lead to transformative solutions for industry and the public sector.
Interdisciplinary proposals are invited from principal investigators at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Davis Health, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz. Awardees embody the university’s public mission and innovative spirit of California. This program has accelerated more than 235 applied research projects led by over 400 UC innovators to date. Funded projects offer a glimpse at new frontiers of technology and have attracted more than $60 million in follow-on support from federal, state, corporate and private sources.
Projects are invited in these critical research areas:
- Aviation
- Sustainability and Climate Resilience
- Digital Health
- Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
- Semiconductors and Systems
Overview
To encourage cross-campus, interdisciplinary approaches to societal challenges, eligible teams will include two or more principal investigators (PIs) from the different UC campuses named above. Proposals that engage multiple academic disciplines are encouraged. For example, a computer scientist and economist might collaborate on novel data applications, each leveraging the strengths of their home campus.
Successful proposals will emphasize:
- Information technology applications in the interest of society
- Early-stage, proof-of-concept work with potential for impact at scale
- Future extramural funding opportunities to further develop the proposed work
Solutions that address diversity, equity, workforce development, cybersecurity and/or policy questions are welcome.
Each selected team receives $40,000–$60,000 to pursue their research during the 12-month performance period. Awardees receive CITRIS Investigator status and can benefit from connections with the institute’s broader network and resources. At the conclusion of the award period, a brief outcome report is required to highlight the project successes and share next steps for the work.
Please see the CITRIS request for proposal page here for more information. The deadline to apply is October 13, 2023. Apply here.
