The University of California Board of Regents has announced the creation of the UC Regents Innovation Awards, a new program designed to recognize significant achievements in research and entrepreneurship across the university’s 10 campuses and three national laboratories.
According to UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly, “These annual awards will recognize groundbreaking research, transformative startups, and community partnerships that exemplify the University’s commitment to innovation and public benefit.”
The awards are intended to highlight both innovative discoveries and their application to real-world problems. Each campus and national laboratory can nominate one person or entity per award category. The categories include:
– Gamechanger Award for the most impactful product introduced to the market
– Disruptive Research Award for novel research with strong development potential
– Best Startup Award for a new company using UC research to address societal needs
– Community Changemaker Award for private sector leaders or organizations supporting UC innovation
– Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award for faculty or researchers with careers marked by multiple innovations
Each campus and lab will create its own nomination process. Nominations will be reviewed by the President’s Entrepreneurship Network Council between May and June. The Board of Regents will make final selections in the summer, choosing up to three awardees per category.
Winners will be announced at a gala event in August at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento. Three categories — Gamechanger, Disruptive Research, and Best Startup — each come with a cash prize of at least $10,000.
The initiative is based on Regents Policy 5105 (Policy on Innovation Transfer & Entrepreneurship). More details about the awards can be found on the UC Regents Innovation Awards page.
