A Message from Steven Beckwith

Vice President For Research and Graduate Studies
to UC Faculty and Industry Partners Involved With MICRO

Despite the difficult budget year, the University of California remains committed to working with the private sector to promote cutting-edge research, to develop new technologies and products, and to train the next generation of technical entrepreneurs in the State of California. And although the major cuts to the overall UC budget inevitably impact every program we have, we were able to provide all 2008/2009 applicants with MICRO matching funds, albeit at a lower level than previous years.

It now seems likely that next year’s budget will require even more cutbacks in our UC research programs. To maintain our success working with the private sector, we will look at all of the industry outreach programs together, including MICRO and the Discovery programs, to set priorities about the amount of support going into currently disparate areas and use our limited money more strategically. 

Early next year, I will call together faculty, campus and UCOP staff who regularly work with the private sector to develop an approach that allows us to handle budget problems and industry outreach based on a well-articulated set of priorities. We will move deliberately toward a fully integrated industry-university collaborative that can optimize UC’s work with the private sector. This website will give periodic updates about the process.

To allow time for this process, we will delay issuing any new call for MICRO proposals until we have had a chance to formulate a more uniform approach.

• Award Letter To PIs
  (September 30, 2008)
• Letter To Industry Sponsors
  (October 9, 2008)
• Response to Concerned Faculty
  (November 25, 2008)

About MICRO

The MICRO program was established in 1981 by the State of California. Its purpose is to support innovative research in microelectronics technology, its applications in computer and information sciences, and its necessary antecedents in other physical science disciplines. The objective is to help the California electronics and computer industries maintain their leadership by expanding relevant research and graduate student training and education at the University of California (UC).