UCOP Systemwide Research Portfolio Review Group

The UC Office of the President (UCOP) provides limited funds to support UC-wide programs and initiatives across all fields of scholarship that might benefit from collaborative work. These investments can range from small initiatives that reach across campuses to combine ideas, expertise or resources, to large shared-infrastructure projects that can leverage UC’s influence and resources to benefit research throughout the system. With ten campuses, five medical centers, and over twenty‐five thousand faculty and research employees, UC can launch and advance unique research efforts that can do more for our campuses, our students, and the world we live in.

Portfolio Review Group

The UC Office of President (UCOP) has convened a committee, the Portfolio Review Group (PRG), to incorporate campus-wide perspectives and input into a new process for evaluating and optimizing UCOP research investments. The PRG’s purpose is to:

  • Provide advice to the Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies (Vice President) on the overall value and unique purpose of the systemwide research portfolio to the University and the State of California.
  • Assess the current mix of research investments and provide recommendations for how to improve UC’s return on those investments.
  • Advise the Vice President on strategies for growing or evolving UC investments in systemwide research to strengthen and/or balance the research portfolio.

During its early term, the Portfolio Review Group will also have strong input into the development and refinement of UCOP processes and frameworks for evaluating systemwide research investments.

See the full Portfolio Review Group charge (pdf) for more detail.

The Portfolio Review Group is scheduled to meet several times in the Winter/Spring of 2013, and will post regular updates and reports to this page.

PPA Task Force

The Portfolio Review Group was established in response to recommendations made by the Task Force on the University‐wide Research Principles, Processes and Assessment (PPA Task Force).  This group was convened in FY2011-12 to examine current principles and processes that guide UCOP-funded research programs, and recommend a comprehensive framework to guide future decision-making and assessment of UCOP research investments

See the task force report (pdf) for detailed recommendations.