OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

October 4, 2024

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ALL ACADEMICS, STUDENTS AND STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO

Refreshed Research Themes Guide Future Focus

After several months of discussion and input from academic and research leaders as well as researchers from across the university, we are pleased to share six refreshed research themes, which build on and add to the themes of the first strategic plan.

The new research themes will be supported by several key initiatives, including a series of engagement and funding opportunities, that will provide more than $5 million in funding to support campus research efforts.

Research 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.

Resources and Funding

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 themes and 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 will open on Monday, October 7 and are due by November 8 for activity to begin early in 2025. The Request for Applications will be 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.

  •  Large Projects: This initiative will support additional Grand Challenge-type larger projects to seed complex, interdisciplinary proposals aimed at addressing major research questions and challenges.

  • Core Facilities: A Request for Information (RFI) focused on "Core Facilities of the Future" will be issued to invite researchers to contribute ideas on optimizing research infrastructure to best support the new themes.

We expect Large Projects and Core Facilities opportunities to roll out later in the 2024-25 academic year. We encourage you to learn more about these and other opportunities as they become available.

Thank You

To learn more about our strategic plan refresh process or the updated mission, vision and goals, please visit the plan refresh website.

We could not have ensured that our research themes prioritized the diverse voices and wide-ranging needs of our campus community without you, your expertise and your valuable input.

We look forward to sharing more as we move into the final phase of our strategic plan refresh process in the coming months.

Pradeep K. Khosla
Chancellor
Joan and Irwin Jacobs Chancellor’s Endowed Chair 

Corinne Peek-Asa
Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093