Greetings
Since its founding in 1908, UC Davis has pushed the boundaries of knowledge, delivering discoveries that enrich lives and drive economic growth, security and prosperity in California and across the nation.
Our commitment to solving society’s most pressing challenges remains unwavering. Despite emerging obstacles this fiscal year, our researchers, staff and students continued to deliver critical insights and solutions in healthcare, food systems, energy, education and more — as detailed in this year’s Research Impact Report.
Across disciplines, UC Davis researchers generated groundbreaking innovations, submitting 187 invention disclosures and securing 70 patents and plant certificates. A recent report found the university generated $2 billion in California economic activity and supports nearly 10,000 jobs.
This impact is made possible by strong partnerships and investments from federal and state agencies, foundations, industry and others.
Along with peer institutions nationwide, these partnerships have long proven their effectiveness. Since World War II, the U.S. model directing taxpayer funding to leverage university expertise and state-of-the-art resources has been the most productive in the world, fueling prosperity and global leadership.
We are committed to continuing this success by relentlessly working to adapt, enhance and deliver at the global forefront.
Simon J. Atkinson
Vice Chancellor for Research
BREAKTHROUGHS
Improving Lives, Our Economy and Our Future
Research at UC Davis not only yields discoveries that improve lives, it drives economic growth and fuels our nation’s global leadership in technology and innovation. Advancements in areas like agriculture, energy, artificial intelligence and human and animal health are key contributors to prosperity here in California and throughout our nation.
Aggie Square
Opening a new chapter in UC Davis’ role as a regional engine of innovation and economic growth, Aggie Square, the $1.1 billion innovation district will bring together the university’s cutting-edge research with private-sector companies and startups.
New Research Centers
Highlighted Grants
Agricultural Biosecurity for Avian Influenza
Waterfowl presence has been identified as a key factor in the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak. Using radar, satellite, and telemetry-based modeling, the team has developed a remote and scalable method of assessing risk daily at the farm level. This grant will expand this approach across the entire U.S. via further enhancements in a webtool called the WaterFowl Alert Network.
Food Safety Training and Support for Growers
Small farms are a vital part of California’s food system, but navigating food safety regulations can be challenging, especially for those with limited access to training and resources. To bridge this gap, UC Davis is leading an effort to establish the California Center for Food Safety, a new hub offering growers the education and support they need to meet food safety standards.
How Diabetes Affects Children’s Cognition
This study, part of a national research consortium funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, aims to understand how Type 1 diabetes contributes to neurocognitive difficulties in children. This will be the first large-scale study to follow children with Type 1 diabetes over time to see how they progress in their neurocognitive development.
Genomic Mechanisms of Violent Juvenile Aggression
Violent aggressive behavior in children has life-long consequences for perpetrators, victims, their families and society. Yet the biological bases of juvenile aggression remain largely unknown. This project takes an innovative, integrative approach using poison frog juveniles to address this pressing knowledge gap using a novel animal model providing a powerful opportunity to understand the genomic bases of juvenile aggression.
Preparing Californians for Public Health Emergencies
This grant supports personnel from the UC Davis School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences to aid the Emergency Preparedness Office with planning and activities to prepare Californians for public health emergencies. This includes drills and exercise scenarios, planning for the strategic national stockpile, crisis response, statewide disaster planning and developing publications and communications to support the California Department of Public Health programs.
Biomanufacturing in Low Resource Environments
Utilizing living organisms such as engineered plant cells, plant embryos and fast-growing aquatic plants as bioproduction platforms, researchers are developing a technology that could replace energy-intensive manufacturing processes. Funded by a $3 million grant over four years by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the goal is to enable potentially transforming biomanufacturing capabilities in low resource environments such as in underserved rural communities, battlefields, deserts or space.
Preparing the Next Generation of Researchers to Optimize Health Care
This predoctoral training program provides funding opportunities to current students in the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Doctor of Philosophy program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. It aims to increase the pipeline of researchers who can apply rigorous, multi-level and equity-centered methods to optimize health outcomes among historically and presently marginalized communities.
“Digital Twin” Satellite Payload as a Step Towards Autonomous Spacecraft
This grant supports the development of a custom AI-enabled payload in a brand-new, first-ever rapid design-to-deployment small satellite. The payload is a digital twin that will use AI software to measure the activity and predict the future state of the battery as a step towards fully autonomous spacecraft. The novel aspect of this payload is that the system-state model is running in real time onboard the spacecraft, instead of in ground-based mission control.
Strengthening School Attendance Through Family Engagement
This project explores how family engagement practices can help reduce student absences that have lasting effects on learners’ academic and social development. Through the analysis of data from the California Department of Education, alongside focus groups with school district leaders, staff, educators and parents, the team aims to identify effective strategies to better support families of kindergartners and multilingual learners.
The Office of Research provides an array of services geared to help researchers and innovators succeed at every step of the process: securing funding, developing collaborative teams, complying with regulations, advancing new technologies toward commercialization and communicating insight to expand impact.
BY THE NUMBERS
Extramural Awards by Source ($Millions)
Funding Sources
Intellectual Property
190
Utility and Plant Applications Filed
70
Patents and Plant Certificates Issued
New Records of Invention
Commercialization
27
Total Licenses and Options
8
Plant Variety Licenses
17
Utility Patent Licenses
2
Other Licenses
4
New Startup Agreements
Researcher Support
244
Research Material Transfer Agreements
17
Utility Patent Licenses
265
Data Transfers
6
Information and Copyright Transfers
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