About Research and Innovation

Research at the University of California (UC) is wonderfully rich and complex. With ten campuses, five medical centers and three affiliated national laboratories, UC has researchers and students breaking new ground in every academic and professional discipline. From Nobel Prize winners to undergraduates, everyone at UC is part of a community engaged in discovery and new ideas that have the potential to improve the lives of people in California and throughout the world.

Research and Innovation (R&I) brings together people and resources from across our campuses and partner institutions around the world: to organize around common challenges and opportunities; advocate for research needs, policies, and resources; and maximize the effectiveness and impact of research and innovation across the University of California and the State. R&I works closely with systemwide stakeholders such as the Council of Vice Chancellors for Research and the University Committee on Research Policy, and draws on experts from across the UC system and State of California to plan and implement initiatives and programs.

R&I is led by the Vice President for Research and Innovation, Theresa A. Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E., and is organized into five departments:

  • The Research Grants Program Office, which provides funding for UC research programs as well as grant and financial administration for state-funded research programs;
  • The Natural Reserve System, which manages a network of 41 protected natural areas throughout California, which are used for university-level teaching, research and public service;
  • The Innovation & Entrepreneurship department, which works to increase UC's innovation capabilities and to create new opportunities for the UC community;
  • The Research Policy and Coordination department, which helps scholars and administrators from across the UC system access and understand the many laws, regulations, and policies that apply to research at UC campuses and laboratories, and coordinates systemwide work on new policies and key issues that affect research, research administration and compliance; and
  • The Knowledge Transfer Office, which supports UC campuses in technology transfer operations. This group provides information systems, financial management, patent prosecution and intellectual property management services. 

In addition, the Research Investments Studies and Analysis unit within the Vice President's Immediate Office provides leadership and operational support for programs and initiatives, as well as data and analysis on the research performance, strengths and contributions of UC system.

For news about UC research, click here.

For the UC Accountability Report chapter on Research, click here.