CITRIS Innovation Hub

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

Take advantage of CITRIS expertise

Harness the strengths of four top University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Cruz to explore:

Deep tech and “frontier tech” research, innovation and commercialization
Responsible innovation and policy to promote ethics and inclusion in the tech sector
Engagement and exchange with visiting affiliates to foster 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 students at all four CITRIS campuses. 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. Applications open in summer and winter.
CITRIS Aviation Prize: Design and demonstration competition open primarily to undergraduates. Student teams propose plans to solve modern aviation challenges, such as long-distance autonomous UAV flights or on-campus infrastructure for advanced air mobility systems. 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 with three months or a semester of on-site coworking. Choose the CITRIS research initiative and host campus that match your needs, and receive:

Access to top faculty and experts across the four CITRIS campuses
Immersion in a vibrant multicampus community
Guidance for ethical and inclusive innovation in the interest of society

Ideal for visitors from government, industry and academia.

Apply now for hosting

Five-day CITRIS Innovation Intensives dive deep into a signature CITRIS research area through immersive visits to all four CITRIS campuses, conversations with top faculty, interactive experiences with advanced technology, and networking opportunities with a cohort from around the world. Upcoming opportunities include:

Health at CITRIS Innovation Intensive: March 4–8, 2024
Climate at CITRIS Innovation Intensive: Oct. 21–25, 2024

Perfect for corporate leaders, faculty members and graduate students, government representatives building technology development ecosystems, startup founders, and others breaking new ground around the topic of the intensive.

Apply now for an Innovation Intensive

If you want to make the most of a short trip to the University of California, join us for a half-day or whole-day program at CITRIS. Highlights include:

Guided tours of key facilities and labs
Curated talks on your choice of research in aviation, climate, deep tech, health, responsible AI and tech policy
Strategy sessions for creating innovation ecosystems, fostering the workforce of tomorrow and building inclusive on-ramps into emerging technologies

Great for groups from governments, corporations, universities and other organizations seeking inspiration, UC connections and global partnerships.

Request a visit