Researchers from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Davis Health, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz are invited to submit proposals for 2026 CITRIS Seed Awards, worth $40,000–$60,000 per project. Projects should address at least one of the following areas of interest, with an emphasis on transformative solutions for the public good:
- Aerospace and aviation
- Artificial intelligence, autonomy and robotics
- Digital health
- Sustainability and climate resilience
To encourage UC-wide collaboration, each proposal must include at least two principal investigators, each from a different CITRIS campus.
The CITRIS Seed Funding Program is designed to support innovative, early-stage work that can attract larger-scale funding from diverse sources. Proposals are evaluated based on feasibility, potential for societal impact, potential for follow-on funding, alignment with the CITRIS mission and inclusion of pretenured faculty.
The application portal opens at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 2. A virtual info session will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 16.
Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, and awards will be announced in June.