Golden State Today

The University of California, Davis has once again surpassed $1 billion in new external research awards for the fiscal year 2023-24. This marks the third consecutive year the university has achieved this milestone, with a total of $1.039 billion in funding—an increase of $33 million from the previous year.

Chancellor Gary S. May commented on the achievement: “For the third consecutive year, UC Davis has set the bar high for research funding. This investment will empower our university to continue transformative research confronting the world’s most persistent challenges from climate change to child welfare, generating unprecedented opportunities for individuals both here in California and across the globe."

Vice Chancellor for Research Simon Atkinson added, “UC Davis’ success in attaining this level of funding and delivering global impact is a testament to the broad ingenuity and passion of our faculty, researchers and staff throughout the university.”

The federal government was the largest source of funding at $441 million, followed by $237 million from the state of California—an increase of $76 million—and $95 million from industry sources.

Among UC Davis's colleges and schools, top recipients included the School of Medicine ($400 million), College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences ($169 million), and College of Engineering ($118 million).

A significant award amounting to $52.39 million was granted to Alison Book, executive director of UC Davis Human Services at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. The funds are aimed at fortifying California's child welfare workforce through a program supported by both state and federal agencies.

Research efforts at UC Davis have also led to substantial innovations over the past fiscal year, including 140 records of invention, 208 patent applications submitted, and 109 patents secured.

Additional notable projects include:

- **College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences**: Professor Gregory Pasternack leads an interdisciplinary team studying urban stream corridors with funding from the University of California Office of the President.

- **College of Biological Sciences**: Assistant Professor Felicity Muth investigates how environments shape cognition in bees with support from The National Geographic Society.

- **College of Engineering**: Professors Christina Harvey and Michelle Hawkins launch a bird flight research center funded by the Department of Defense.

- **College of Letters and Science**: Professor Brian Trainor examines gender-based differences in responses to social stress with backing from National Institutes of Mental Health.

- **Continuing and Professional Education**: Alison Book partners with UCLA on improving child welfare services under a program funded by California Department Social Services.

- **Graduate School Management**: Professor David Woodruff collaborates with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on optimizing open-source software for uncertain data scenarios.

- **School Education**: Associate Professor Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica develops workshops for bilingual teachers funded by U.S. Department Education’s Office English Language Acquisition.

- **School Law**: Small Farmer Clinic provides legal assistance underrepresented communities through Water Foundation grant secured Brett Burns Rob Mullaney Gabriel Chin.

- **School Medicine**: Public health emergency preparedness project led Bradley Pollock receives funds from California Department Public Health.

- **School Nursing**: Dean Stephen Cavanagh secures Gordon Betty Moore Foundation investment address national downward trend graduate student enrollment nursing programs.

These initiatives highlight UC Davis's ongoing commitment to addressing complex societal issues through innovative research.

To learn more about these achievements, readers can view UC Davis's Annual Research Impact Report.

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