The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) and the UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS), in partnership with the Academic Innovation Catalyst (AIC), are pleased to announce the CITRIS-CDSS Innovation Fellowship program and AIC Awards. Made possible by philanthropic support, the program supports the transformation of UC research into scalable and high-impact solutions addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
The CITRIS-CDSS Innovation Fellowship and AIC program will confer five awards per year of up to $200,000 over two years, subject to achieving milestones. Accelerated or additional funding may be available based on milestones, need or exceptional promise.
Awardees will be recognized as AIC Fellows and will receive mentorship, legal and financial guidance, pitch development, market research, and connections to industry partners. Fellows are expected to participate in training and workshops to help advance their innovations toward commercialization.
Eligibility
Applicants must hold principal investigator (PI) status at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced or UC Santa Cruz. UC-designated PIs at Lawrence Berkeley or Lawrence Livermore National Labs are also eligible.
Recipients must use the award to translate research into a product, platform or service that can be adopted into a scalable, real-world application. The award may be used to fund postdoctoral scholars or students working on translation for the potentially commercializable idea.
Proposals for all advanced technology projects, including in AI and other deep tech fields, are welcome, with priority given to those with the explicit objective of promoting a public good. Open-source projects that hold promise for a path to scale will be considered.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on market feasibility, innovation and societal impact. Applicants should address risks and barriers to commercialization, product–market fit, customer discovery, investment potential and public benefit. A clear path to commercialization within two to three years is expected.
Process
Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete a form indicating their intent to apply by Oct. 6. This will help program organizers begin recruiting appropriate reviewers. Applications will be reviewed by faculty experts for technological feasibility and scientific merit, then by business experts and entrepreneurs for market viability and innovation.
Finalists will be invited to present their proposed innovations to the selection committee in short (10- to 15-minute) in-person meetings. A slide template will be provided.
Timeline
- Sept. 17, 2025: Online application portal opens for submissions
- Oct. 2: Online info session at 11 a.m. with live Q&A (register now)
- Oct. 6: Notice of Intent to Apply due by 5 p.m. PT (optional but strongly encouraged; submit now)
- Oct. 31: Applications are due online at 5 p.m. PT
- December: In-person final pitches
- January 2026: Awardees are notified
Contact
For more information, please contact seedteam@citris-uc.org.
