CITRIS and the Banatao Institute

Creating information technology solutions for society's most pressing challenges

CITRIS Innovation Hub

Collage of five photos: A person in protective gear in a nanofabrication facility; a person in a suit speaking in front of a video screen; a room full of people talking at tables; three people with a drone; a computer circuit board being constructed.

The CITRIS Innovation Hub fosters interdisciplinary innovation in the interest of society and expands on-ramps for next-generation talent and greater workforce inclusion.

Take advantage of CITRIS expertise

Harness the strengths of four top University of California campuses to explore:

  • Deep tech and “frontier tech” research, innovation and commercialization 
  • Responsible innovation in the interest of society, ethics, inclusion and policy
  • Engagement and exchange with visiting affiliates to promote global collaboration

Gain professional and leadership skills, innovate tech solutions and expand your career path.

Collegiate programs:

  • CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program: Paid summer internships for undergraduates at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz. Applications open in late fall.
  • CITRIS Tech for Social Good: Funding support for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers developing hardware, software, events or programs at UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz.
  • CITRIS Foundry: Startup incubator for student and faculty entrepreneurs from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz. Applications open in summer and winter. 
  • CITRIS Aviation Prize: Design and demonstration competition open to undergraduates at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz for long-distance autonomous flight with a small UAV. Applications open in fall.
  • ¡Valle! Get your start in tech! at UC Merced: Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research experiences for undergraduates. 
  • CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) at UC Santa Cruz: Education and mentorship program for undergraduate students in the safe use of drones, with a special focus on agricultural and environmental applications. 
  • AI Policy Hub at UC Berkeley: An interdisciplinary initiative training students enrolled in graduate degree programs from all departments and disciplines to develop effective governance and policy frameworks to guide artificial intelligence.

Pre-university programs:

  • NexTech Robotics Program at UC Merced: STEM and robotics curriculum for middle school students taught by undergraduate students.
  • FLY CITRIS at UC Merced: Hands-on lessons on drones and robotics for all ages.
  • CITRIS INSPIRE at UC Davis: Workshops to help local teachers incorporate data science into their curriculums, and engineering summer camps to introduce high school students to hands-on activities, college-level laboratories and STEM career opportunities.  
  • C-STEM GIRL and GIRL+ Camps at UC Davis: Summer camps for middle school and high school students to inspire the next generation of female innovators and leaders.

Learn, research and network to advance your innovation goals. Ideal for visitors from government, industry and academia. Receive:

  • Access to top faculty and experts across the four CITRIS campuses: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz.
  • Access to a vibrant multicampus community
  • Guidance for ethical and inclusive innovation in the interest of society

Offerings include:

  • One-week Innovation Intensives in fall 2023 (climate theme) and spring 2024 (health theme)
  • A semester of on site coworking (choose the CITRIS research initiative and campus that matches your needs)
  • Coming in spring 2024: The online course Responsible Innovation in Silicon Valley

Suitable for groups of visitors from a single organization. Half-day or whole-day programs at CITRIS are available.

Learning for Everyone

Stay on top of emerging trends in deep tech and the societal impact of AI, tech policy and more. 

Contact

Jill Finlayson
Managing Director, CITRIS Innovation Hub
finlayson@citris-uc.org

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