CITRIS-CDSS Innovation Fellowship program and AIC Awards
The CITRIS-CDSS Innovation Fellowship and AIC Awards at UC Berkeley support researchers in translating advanced technology and data science research into scalable, high-impact solutions for society.
Funder: University of California Berkeley
Due Dates: September 25, 2026 (Notice of Intent, optional) | October 8, 2026 (Full proposal deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to 5 awards/year; up to $200,000 each over two years, milestone-based; accelerated/additional funding possible.
Summary: Supports UC researchers in translating advanced academic research into scalable, high-impact societal solutions with mentorship and commercialization resources.
Key Information: Notice of Intent is optional but strongly encouraged; proposals in life sciences are out of scope.
Description
The CITRIS-CDSS Innovation Fellowship program and AIC Awards, offered through a partnership between UC Berkeley, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS), the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS), and the Academic Innovation Catalyst (AIC), are designed to accelerate the transformation of University of California research into scalable, real-world solutions for societal challenges. Awardees, recognized as AIC Fellows, receive up to $200,000 over two years, subject to milestone achievement, as well as access to mentorship, legal and financial guidance, pitch development, market research, and connections to industry partners. The program emphasizes commercialization training and supports projects in advanced technologies grounded in deep academic research.
