The California Institutes for Science and Innovation will substantially leverage California's competitive advantage by focusing on the science and engineering that drive the state's economy. They will forge research partnerships between UC and industry to produce the next generation of technologies and products. The institutes will also provide a new environment for education, providing students insights on private industry and future career opportunities in the state. A. Gov. Davis envisioned the California Institutes for Science and Innovation as opportunities to create a new environment for joint industry-university collaborations in fundamental research and teaching. Each of the three institutes will form partnerships with an array of companies, small and large, that will expand steadily over time.
Private contributions range from gifts to research grants.
Many of the partnerships are expected to involve intellectual property agreements that, following standard UC policy, enable contributing companies to negotiate commercial licenses on specific research discoveries that are patented by the UC Regents. Industry scientists will be invited to participate in research collaborations, will be engaged in co-teaching new courses and will provide internships for students. All of UC's standard policies governing industry-university relationships apply to the California Institutes for Science and Innovation. The California Institutes for Science and Innovation will provide new educational programs that present innovative, multidisciplinary perspectives on science and engineering. Both undergraduate and graduate students will enroll in these programs and be taught by leading scientists and engineers.