Supporting UC Faculty

Our programs stimulate multidisciplinary engagement among faculty across the UC system, with an emphasis on supporting researchers early in their careers. Since 2009, we have funded approximately 900 scholars from all 10 UC campuses, of which 200 were early-career faculty. Our collaborative awards encourage faculty mentorship across career stages to sustain a pipeline of expertise, and seed funding for assistant professors helps launch successful research careers at UC. For example, three UC Nobel Laureates received basic science seed funding early in their careers from our cancer research program. 

Another metric of faculty success is the impressive research productivity and publication record resulting from our funding opportunities. Our grantees in multi-institution collaborations report more than 2,400 publications, or an average of one publication per $73,400 invested – a level of productivity that exceeds federally funded research by as much as 50 percent. Moreover, publications resulting from our funding are cited approximately three times more often than the average scholarly paper. About half of the papers published with our funding appear in the top ten percent of the highest impact journals, signaling the scholarly impact of the research. Not only do these outcomes make lasting contributions to knowledge and society, but they also propel faculty to success in their fields.