UC San Diego Unveils New Funding and Initiatives to Support Refreshed Research Themes
Story by:
Published Date
Article Content
After nearly a year of intensive consultations, listening sessions and university-wide collaboration, UC San Diego has entered the final phase of its Strategic Plan Refresh process by announcing refreshed strategies and priorities that will guide UC San Diego’s long-term future. These strategies are grounded in our mission to transform California and a diverse society through education, generating and disseminating knowledge and creative works, providing high-quality health care and engaging in public service.
Faculty, students and staff collaborated to identify 14 core strategies and refine six key research themes to further build out the refreshed plan framework and advance progress toward our seven distinct, yet interrelated, long-term plan goals.
The strategies, many of which were contributed by you, were designed to focus energy around how the university will commit and invest in achieving our goals.
A series of workgroups were convened to evolve this work by identifying specific programs and initiatives that complement these strategies. Underpinned by our deeply held Principles of Community, commitment to our shared values, inclusivity and vision to be a destination public university that is student centered, research driven, patient dedicated and service oriented, these programs and initiatives will be shared and reviewed over the coming months as we finalize the plan. They are:
- Student-facing support
- Educational innovation
- Integrated education
- Sense of belonging
- Research infrastructure
- Faculty and staff development
- Graduate education
- Administrative renewal
- Operational alignment
- Community-engaged problem solving
- Health and well-being
- Arts
- Green campus
- Campus activation
These clear goals and strategies will enable us to collaborate more effectively across disciplines and areas of expertise; increase success in expanding access to education and professional development; and provide a road map for how we continue to evolve as a globally recognized public university developing a future workforce equipped to thrive and change the world. More detail can be found on the Strategic Plan Refresh website at www.plan.ucsd.edu.
The campus's most striking archetictural structure is also a cherished space for conversation, learning, study and campus center.
Refreshed Research Themes
In addition to the new strategies, UC San Diego’s Office of Research and Innovation has unveiled six refreshed research themes that will guide and grow campus-wide research for the next decade. This element of the university’s ongoing strategic plan refresh will enhance the university’s research and discovery impact and foster ever-greater interdisciplinary innovation.
Evolved and expanded from our first-ever strategic plan implemented in 2014 by Chancellor Khosla with input from more than 10,000 members of our campus community, the six refreshed and refocused research themes articulate the lenses through which we seek to advance knowledge and translate discovery to practice.
Through these themes, we individually and collaboratively strive to ask and address the key questions facing our world today and tomorrow.
“These refreshed research themes represent a collective vision for the future of our university. They reflect the diverse expertise of our faculty and the unique challenges we aim to address,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “I am confident that these themes will drive meaningful advancements and foster a collaborative spirit across our campus.”
The themes:
Advancing fundamental knowledge.
Lead the conceptual, theoretical and experimental research that provides the foundation for furthering scientific, societal and creative discovery.
Understanding cultures and addressing disparities in society.
Improve our understanding of diverse cultures, perspectives and belief systems; examine how organizing structures, policies and practices contribute to historical and current inequalities; facilitate collaborative approaches and respectful engagement to tackle societal problems; and amplify the voices of marginalized populations.
Shaping and engaging with technology.
Build the future of digital work, life and education; advance technological systems and materials to secure the power of computational solutions like artificial intelligence; translate computing progress to provide solutions to pressing social problems; and prevent negative consequences of new technologies while ensuring equitable access.
Conserving the planet and exploring the universe.
Understand the evolving causes and impacts of climate change; develop solutions that improve environmental conditions to sustain our world and enhance environmental justice; and better understand the larger universe.
Studying human knowledge, learning and creativity.
Investigate the human brain; study the impact of history, arts, culture, and technology on how we think and act; and advance new models of education, knowledge and creativity.
Producing breakthroughs in human health.
Improve human health; reduce health disparities; and advance affordable health systems that promote physical and mental health at the individual, interpersonal and community levels.
“The themes are designed to be broad and inclusive, and we hope all of our areas of expertise see their role in engaging around these topics,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Corinne Peek-Asa. “With the help of the campus community we’ve identified areas in which UC San Diego is uniquely positioned to make a difference. The themes are meant to inspire and connect researchers across the university, creating a framework for support and funding that will catalyze and sustain academic and creative endeavors.”
To that end, the new research themes will be supported by several key initiatives, including a series of engagement and funding opportunities, that in coming years will provide more than $5 million in funding to support campus research efforts.
New Initiatives and Planned Activations
"Our refreshed research themes are not just strategic priorities—they are a call to action for our entire academic community. We are launching several initiatives, including faculty ambassadors, various awards, and an innovation challenge to help catalyze and invigorate interdisciplinary collaboration and discussions, as well as support innovative solutions to pressing global issues,” said Chancellor Khosla.
The initiatives and estimated timelines for applications, requests for proposals and information are as follows:
- Faculty Ambassadors: Four faculty members will be selected to serve as ambassadors, connecting campus stakeholders with the new themesand promoting active discussion and engagement.
- Applications are open and will be accepted through October 22. The anticipated start date is December 1, 2024.
- The Call for Applications is available at https://ucsd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/1952517
- Faculty Ambassadors will be appointed for a 1-year term, renewable for up to 3 years, and will receive an annual discretionary funding supplement.
- Convene and Influence Awards: Small grants (typically up to $25,000) will be awarded to support grassroots convenings aimed at advancing thought leadership on the themes. Planned and led by interdisciplinary teams, these events must produce a dissemination product, such as a white paper or policy brief.
- Applications for the first round and open and will be accepted through November 8 for activity to begin early in 2025.
- The Request for Applications is available at: https://ucsd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/1951851
- Interdisciplinary Team Catalyst Awards: A new cycle of awards will focus on fostering interdisciplinary teams working on the refreshed themes.
- Projects will not focus on research or developing pilot data, but on building the expert teams needed to address the most pressing questions within the themes.
- Applications will open early in 2025 to enable awardees to start their team-building work in summer 2025.
- Innovation Challenge: This initiative will allow campus innovation accelerators to host events centered on the research themes.
More to come
The university will also launch a program to encourage ambitious projects similar to a Grand Challenge-style initiative. These large projects will be supported to seed complex, interdisciplinary proposals aimed at addressing major research questions and challenges.
Additionally, the university plans to issue a Request for Information (RFI) focused on "Core Facilities of the Future," inviting researchers to contribute ideas on optimizing research infrastructure to best support the new themes.
The upcoming fall quarter will see the official rollout of these opportunities, and the university encourages feedback from the campus community as it continues to advance discussions on its strategic plan.
For more information on the refreshed research themes and how to get involved, please visit plan.ucsd.edu.
Share This:
Stay in the Know
Keep up with all the latest from UC San Diego. Subscribe to the newsletter today.
