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Research at UCSB Contents:
The Office of Research Research is one of the University of California’s three fundamental missions, along with teaching and public service. Researchers at UCSB investigate the physical world humans inhabit and the social and cultural systems we construct, in search of new knowledge and deeper understanding. The quality of teaching at the University is enhanced by integrating both the products and the methods of research into the classroom. UCSB is also committed to educating scholar-teachers for the future. Researchers communicate the fruits of their research not only to the academic community but also to the larger society in the service of the public good. The role of the Office of Research is to provide the support UCSB researchers need to meet these goals. It seeks to expand and improve the research program throughout the University: in arts, education, engineering, humanities, natural and social sciences. The primary criteria for selecting research directions are the potential for UCSB researchers to make truly significant advances and the alignment of the research with the educational program. As the administrative research arm of UCSB, the Office of Research in fiscal year 2006 facilitated 1,147 contract and grant awards totaling $159 million. The office is headed by the vice chancellor for research, who is the principal campus officer in matters of research policy and administration, and is an advocate for research and its value in an educational setting. Under the leadership of the vice chancellor for research, the Office of Research’s responsibilities are as follows:
For more information on the Office of Research, please visit our website at www.research.ucsb.edu.
Return to Top of Page National Research Centers UC Santa Barbara is home to a number of national research centers. All centers offer specialized research opportunities and a multidisciplinary environment for study at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. Center for Nanotechnology for Treatment, Understanding and Monitoring of Cancer Director: Patrick Daugherty. Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS) The Center for Nanotechnology in Society at UCSB serves as a national research and education center, a network hub among researchers and educators concerned with nanotechnologies’ societal impacts, and a resource base for studying these impacts in the US and abroad. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the CNS carries out innovative and interdisciplinary research in three key areas:
The CNS also explores methods for public participation in discussing the future of nanotechnologies in the United States and abroad and supports a broad range of education and outreach activities. Website: www.cns.ucsb.edu Center for the Chemical Design of Materials (CDM) The Center for the Chemical Design of Materials (CDM) is a National Science Foundation-funded interdisciplinary forum for integrated research, education, and public engagement in the chemistry of multifunctional materials. The goals of the Center are:
Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies is an Army-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center led by UCSB, and in partnership with MIT and Caltech. Within the ICB, more than 50 faculty and greater than 100 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers collaborate as interdisciplinary teams composed of molecular biologists, chemists and physicists, together with mechanical, electrical, computer, and chemical engineers. These teams conduct basic research which seeks to elucidate and harness the power of complex biological mechanisms in order to accelerate the development of advances in biologically based or biologically inspired sensors, electronic, optical and magnetic materials, information processing techniques and network control systems. More information about ICB researchers and projects can be found at www.icb.ucsb.edu. International Center for Materials Research (ICMR) The National Science Foundation-sponsored International Center for Materials Research provides an international forum that convenes scientists and engineers with common interests in the future of materials science. The ICMR has been created to promote global excellence in materials science and engineering through a series of research and educational programs. The Center’s partners at UCSB include the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL), the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) and the Materials Department. Telephone: (805) 893-5850. Website: www.icmr.ucsb.edu Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics The National Science Foundation’s Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, initiated in 1979 on the UCSB campus, brings together physicists from all over the world to collaborate on cross-disciplinary problems. Areas of study include elementary particles and nuclei, condensed-matter physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Approximately 80 researchers are in residence at the institute at any given time. One of the major centers of theoretical physics in the world, the institute is housed in its own innovative building near the east entrance to the campus. Telephone: (805) 893-4111. Website: www.kitp.ucsb.edu Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) The Materials Research Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was established in September 1992 and has recently been renewed (2005-2011) as an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. The multi-disciplinary role of the MRL is reflected in the current involvement of over 31 faculty from eight departments plus ~60 research students and postdocs. Its primary role is to support ground breaking interdisciplinary research, training and education through the study of materials with chemical and structural complexity in which self-assembly and multiple length-scales play an important role. The research programs are of such a scope that they cannot be accomplished by a single investigator and requires input from multiple areas leading to results that are greater than the individual components. The central facilities, seminar rooms, research offices, and the MRL administration are housed in a new 21,000 square foot MRL building, which was opened in March 1997 and extended in 2005. The scientific and engineering activities of the UCSB-MRL focus on the following four major interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs), as outlined below, together with seed projects, central facilities, educational outreach programs, and a technology outreach program. Website: www.mrl.ucsb.edu
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) was established by the National Science Foundation with additional support from the University of California and UCSB. The Center sponsors working groups, sabbatical fellows, postdoctoral associates, and distributed graduate seminars focusing on the integration of existing ecological information and new analytical techniques into basic research as well as conservation and resource management issues. NCEAS also is involved in the development of informatics tools that serve the ecological community. The Center provides facilities, services, and high-performance computing capabilities for resident and visiting scientists. Recent research topics have included the ecology of infectious disease, biological response to climate change, human disturbance in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, analysis of complex spatial and temporal community dynamics, ecosystem based management, ecological informatics, and the development of new analytical and statistical methods. Many NCEAS projects are highly interdisciplinary, and may include evolutionary biologists, social and physical scientists, economists, and policy experts, along with ecologists. The Center maintains contacts with a variety of campus entities through collaborative efforts and the involvement of faculty from several departments. Graduate and undergraduate interns are also supported. In addition to ecological research, the Center supports outreach activities, and has developed programs for K-12 education activities. Information about the Center is available online at www.nceas.ucsb.edu. National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN at UCSB) Nanotech is the UCSB branch of the National Science Foundation’s National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN). The goal of the NNIN is to provide a geographically and technologically extensive capability to facilitate research breakthroughs across a broad spectrum of fields, including physics, electronics, optoelectronics, biology, and mechanics. Nanotech, with the resources of a 12000 square-foot clean room, including a Class 100 optical lithography capability, electron beam lithography, and a full range of fabrication processes, can leverage the fabrication expertise developed through work at UCSB and make it available to a broader community, receiving in turn, a large diversity of fabrication challenges and applications. Website: www.nanotech.ucsb.edu Pacific-Southwest Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research The Center is a consortium of 16 universities and research institutes in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, its mission is to bolster basic biomedical research into bioterrorism agents, such as those that cause anthrax and botulism, and naturally occurring infectious diseases, including West Nile virus, hantavirus and dengue--diseases that are affecting increasing numbers of people worldwide. The Center also will provide scientific support, expertise, and facilities in response to a national emergency, such as a terrorist attack or an epidemic of a new infectious disease, like the SARS virus. Southern California Earthquake Center The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) is a National Research Center supported by NSF and the U.S. Geological Survey. Established in 1991, SCEC presently represents a cooperative effort among fifteen core institutions including UCSB, the University of Southern California, Caltech, MIT, UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, and the US Geological Survey. USC is the coordinating institution, Professor Tom Jordan of USC is the Center Director, and Professor Ralph Archuleta of UCSB is the deputy director. The mission of the SCEC is to integrate research results into a comprehensive and predictive understanding of earthquake phenomena in Southern California and to transfer this technology to other seismically active areas. The primary objectives of the Center are to estimate earthquake potential, to quantify the likely ground shaking from future earthquakes, and to communicate knowledge of earthquake science to decision-makers and the public. Website: www.scec.org. Organized Research Units Organized research units (ORUs) provide unusual opportunities for students and faculty to do basic and applied research in a variety of disciplines. The following ORUs operate outside of the established academic teaching departments at UCSB. Note: Neither courses of instruction nor degree programs are offered through the organized research units. Additional information about the units is available from the Office of Research, Cheadle Hall 3227. Telephone: (805) 893-4188. The Center for Chicano Studies supports and conducts interdisciplinary basic and applied research on the history, culture, and socioeconomic status of Chicanos/Latinos in the United States. Researchers from the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and education engage a wide range of contemporary and historical social issues including identifying key barriers to employment, recovering systems of cultural production, examining community empowerment, analyzing immigration and settlement, oral traditions and legal disclosure. Each year the Center sponsors faculty work groups, collaborative research projects, lectures, symposia, and publications that reflect this set of concerns. Developing research initiatives that strengthen the recruitment and retention of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates involved in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies are priorities. The Center, along with the Department of Chicano Studies, supports the unique and prestigious Luis Leal Endowed Chair in Chicano Studies. In addition, the Center provides opportunities for undergraduates to work on selected faculty research projects and programs. As the only organized research unit devoted to the study of Chicana/o and Latina/o populations, the Center is a resource to local community agencies, community leaders, state and national entities as well as to the local campus community. Thus, public service forms an integral part of the Center’s educational mission. Website: http://research.ucsb.edu/ccs/ Institute for Computational Earth Systems Science (ICESS) The Institute for Computational Earth System Science (ICESS) provides an environment in which Earth system scientists can closely collaborate and perform computations not possible in many other research facilities. The focus is on research and research education in Earth system science using computational techniques, Earth remote sensing, in situ observation, numerical modeling and simulation and information management. The ICESS field of research spans the globe and provides unique research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students interested in increasing the understanding of Earth as an integrated system. Advances in computer and satellite technologies, as well as the ability to model complex systems, have placed ICESS on the leading edge of Earth system science research and information management. ICESS is uniquely positioned to utilize extensive satellite capabilities for research and education. ICESS houses the Center for SPOT Imagery, which provides UCSB students and researchers with free (or at-cost) access to high-resolution satellite imagery (spatial resolutions as fine as 2.5 m) for research and educational uses (see www.spot.ucsb.edu). Other resources include our state-of-the-art scientific computing facility, an optical calibration laboratory, an electronics laboratory, a SeaSpace TeraScan satellite data receiver and image processing system used for the real-time acquisition of satellite data, a mesoscale model forecasting weather in real-time for California, a comprehensive library of climate data, and a variety of unique field equipment for the validation and development of Earth remote sensing algorithms. Additional information can be found at: www.icess.ucsb.edu. Institute for Crustal Studies (ICS) The Institute for Crustal Studies (ICS) fosters interdisciplinary research on the earth’s crust and lithosphere, on processes that occur at or affect the earth’s surface, and on the evolution of climate and biota through time. Because UCSB resides on a very active plate-tectonic margin, ICS is ideally situated to address problems related to deformation of the earth’s surface, seismic and volcanic phenomena, the complex physics of the active solid-earth system, the stratigraphic record of sedimentologic responses to active tectonism, and the interactions among climate, surface processes, and tectonics that shape the skin of the earth. Located in the middle of a major fold-and-thrust belt and within the North American transform boundary, ICS offers an uncommon opportunity to observe, quantify, and model crustal and lithospheric processes. The remarkable diversity of geologic environments and the breadth of geologic history encompassed within Southern California provide a stimulating backdrop for innovative studies of earthquakes and seismology, tectonics and crustal structure, river ecology, groundwater systems, tectonic geomorphology, paleontology, and astrobiology. New technical approaches to crustal studies are being explored through collaborative research projects between the university, government, and industry. ICS is enriched through interdisciplinary research activities involving faculty and students from the departments of biological sciences, engineering, geography, geological sciences, mathematics, and physics, and from the environmental studies program. Information about the Institute is available online at www.crustal.ucsb.edu. Institute for Quantum and Complex Dynamics (iQCD) On July 1, 2005, the Institute for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology (iQUEST) changed its name to the Institute for Quantum and Complex Dynamics (iQCD), to reflect the broader area of research that it now supports. iQCD hosts the Center for Nonlinear Sciences and the Center for Terahertz Science and Technology, home of the world-famous UCSB Free-Electron Lasers. iQCD fosters and provides administrative support for interdisciplinary research. The mission of the Institute is threefold:
iQCD currently involves investigators from the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Physics; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Materials; Mathematics; Chemical Engineering; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; and Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. To learn more about iQCD, please visit www.iqcd.ucsb.edu. Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research (ISBER) The Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research (ISBER) conducts interdisciplinary basic and policy research, and offers research development support on a wide spectrum of research questions. ISBER provides an active program of research development in the social sciences and related areas. Investigators are drawn from the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities and those sciences involved with environmental issues. Areas investigated range from the globalization of industry, archaeology in the Americas, how health care data are acquired and used in research, the economics of criminal justice, the linguistics of almost extinct modern languages, to the sociology of religion. A number of centers have been established to focus on specific areas of interest. These include the Center for Advanced Study of Individual Differences, Center for Evolutionary Psychology, Center for Global Studies, Center for Information Technology and Society, Center for Middle East Studies, Center for Nanotechnology in Society, Center on Police Practices and Community, Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science, East Asia Center, Health Data Research Facility, the MesoAmerican Research Center, and the Michael D. Palm Center. Website: www.isber.ucsb.edu. Marine Science Institute (MSI) The Marine Science Institute (MSI) ranks internationally as a leader in ocean research. MSI supports research projects involving faculty, students, and researchers spanning 14 academic disciplines. Much of MSI’s impact arises from the unusual interdisciplinary research that the Institute fosters. Ecology mingles with geography, physics with geology, and chemistry with oceanography to expand our understanding of the ocean world. In addition, MSI takes a broad view of ocean science, looking at interconnections between ocean, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. MSI’s faculty and professional researchers stand at the forefront of their fields, regularly redefining our current knowledge of marine science and policy. The UCSB campus is situated on a promontory overlooking the Pacific Ocean, one of only a handful of universities worldwide located directly on the coast. Surrounded by a rich diversity of coastal habitats, MSI serves as the focal point for ocean-related programs on this unique campus and offers unparalleled opportunities for undergraduate and graduate education. MSI consists of five centers of research activity: the Coastal Research Center, the Ecoinformatics Center, the Marine Biotechnology Center, the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, and the Ocean and Coastal Policy Center. In addition, MSI hosts three Long Term Ecological Research programs, one in Antarctica, a second examines linkages between coastal watersheds and kelp forests in the Santa Barbara Channel, and the newest program, the Moorea Coral Reef LTER, studies how to more accurately predict how coral reef ecosystems will respond to environmental change. MSI is also the regional headquarters for the management of seven University of California Reserve System reserve sites, which serve as natural laboratories for field research and teaching. Information about the Institute is available online at www.msi.ucsb.edu. Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) The mission of the Neuroscience Research Institute is to foster knowledge and understanding of the nervous system by serving as a center for scientific research break-throughs. The NRI is a group of investigators whose collective goal is to create an intellectual atmosphere conducive to exploration at the frontiers of human knowledge where disciplinary boundaries disappear. Investigators in the NRI recognize that the interests of neuroscience extend broadly from repair and prevention of human disease to the principles that underlie the earliest nervous systems, from the human mind to the single molecular building blocks of the brain. Areas of emphasis include research on vision, neurotrophic molecules and their receptors, the physiology and molecular organization of ion channels, neural development, the response of the central nervous system to injury, neurodegeneration and associated disorders, regenerative capacity of the nervous system, synaptic transmission, neuropharmacology, and evolution of the nervous system. The academic disciplines involved include cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, developmental biology, biopsychology, biophysics, and bioengineering. NRI’s research resources include advanced microscopy, a computer laboratory and computing support, and a proteomics/genomics facility. Information about NRI and its centers, is available online at http://nri.ucsb.edu. Return to Top of Page California Research Center California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) focuses on the extraordinary power and potential of structures designed at the nanometer scale. Established in 2000 as one of four new California Institutes for Science and Innovation (CISI), the CNSI builds upon a visionary investment in future education, research and technological resources, given by the State of California. In partnership with the University of California at Los Angeles, CNSI at UCSB integrates the substantial collaborative strengths of its on-campus participants, comprising a multitude of academic departments and scientific disciplines, and seeks new alliances with industry, universities, and national laboratories. CNSI researchers will create and utilize new nanoscale building blocks derived from biological, chemical or physical elements and determine robust ways of linking those building blocks together into complex, integrated systems. The formation of sophisticated ‘structures by design’ that will have impacts on higher-density information processing and storage, new means of biomedical monitoring and treatment, environmental assessment and remediation, and energy-efficient power sources. CNSI hosts several multi-university research centers, such as the federally-funded Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense (CNID) and the recently-formed Western Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) supported by industrial and State funds. CNSI supports a number of education programs linking nanosystems research to junior high schools, high schools and community colleges, and supporting research and mentorship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. CNSI facilities will provide centralized capabilities for imaging, characterization and analysis of nanoscale components, foster new nanofabrication strategies at the interface of the biological and physical sciences, and will serve as an integrative, multidisciplinary environment for researchers and educators working in NanoSystems. Information about CNSI is available online at: www.cnsi.ucsb.edu Return to Top of Page Multicampus Research Intercampus Research Program on Mexican Literary and Cultural Studies (UC Mexicanistas) Director: Sara Poot-Herrera. The Subaltern-Popular Workshop Multicampus Research Group The Subaltern-Popular Multicampus Research Group facilitates and promotes research and understanding of the subaltern — the disenfranchised — and the popular, as subjects and modes of inquiry into culture and history. By disclosing the presence of the disenfranchised in everyday cultural formations, its effort is to change the way we study and teach history and culture, and to re-evaluate the role of the humanities and arts in the politics of globalization and the nation-state. Established in 2005 as a UC Multi-Campus Research Group, the Transliteracies Project includes scholars in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and engineering in the University of California system. It is establishing working groups to study online reading practices from different perspectives; developing a shared technology framework to improve online reading; publishing a clearinghouse of research reports and demonstration software; and training graduate students working at the intersections of the humanistic, social, and technological disciplines. University of California Institute for Research in the Arts (UCIRA) The University of California’s Institute for Research in the Arts (UCIRA) supports UC artists dedicated to innovative approaches to form and content in the performing, media, and visual arts. Our goal is to support imaginative projects that transcend boundaries, or that fall outside the present confines of arts practice. We have a special interest in projects that are collaborative in nature and that benefit two or more UC campuses. A program of the UC Office of the President, UCIRA is committed to diversity in all its forms The UCIRA provides grants to arts faculty and students for projects with the potential for significant artistic and cultural impact. We support projects that are innovative, experimental, and risk-taking in their approach to form and/or content. These may include exhibitions, performances, symposia, outreach efforts, and projects that are multidisciplinary in approach. As artistic endeavors of the highest professional caliber, UCIRA projects frequently reach audiences outside the university and involve artists and scholars from around the world. As the only state-wide organization representing the arts on the nine campuses of the UC system, UCIRA also provides information and advocacy for university-based arts education and research. UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute (UC LMRI) The UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute (UC LMRI) is a Multicampus Research Unit of the University of California headquartered at UC Santa Barbara. The Institute involves faculty and projects at all ten UC campuses. The LMRI was established in 1984 to conduct research on the education of language minority students in the K-12 education sector with the long-range goal of improving these students’ access to college. The major activities of the LMRI include sponsoring research projects; collaborating with schools and educational agencies; conducting annual meetings, research conferences, institutes, and lectures; disseminating information on language minorities in various ways including a quarterly newsletter, book publications, and a website with electronic mail services; and sponsoring professional development activities. The Institute is housed in South Hall, Room 4722. Telephone: (805) 893-2250. Facsimile: (805) 893-8673. Email: lmri@lmrinet.ucsb.edu. Website: www.lmri.ucsb.edu. Return to Top of Page Affiliated Units The Center for Black Studies Research conducts research on the social, historical, political, economic, and cultural experiences that have affected peoples of African heritage throughout the world. The center sponsors a visiting scholars program; supports and disseminates faculty research; published three academic journals; organizes and presents seminars, lectures, and symposia; and serves as a liaison between the campus and the Santa Barbara community. Website: http://research.ucsb.edu/cbs. Engineering Research Centers Interdisciplinary Humanities Center (IHC) The IHC was founded in December of 1987 to implement the Humanities Initiative begun by the President of the University of California. Out of the conviction that research and teaching in the Humanities are becoming perilously specialized, the IHC regards its principal mission as encouraging interdisciplinary scholarship and instruction. It does this by supporting research projects, team-taught courses, lectures, seminars, and conferences. By hosting a wide array of interdisciplinary programs and activities -- an increasing number of which take place in Santa Barbara -- the IHC also serves as a vital link between the campus and the community. In addition, the IHC seeks to broaden the traditional definition of humanistic endeavors by sponsoring activities in the performing and visual arts. The Center is housed on the sixth floor of HSSB. Telephone: (805) 893-3907. Website: www.ihc.ucsb.edu. Natural Reserve System The University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) was founded in 1965 to establish and maintain significant examples of California’s diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems for university-level teaching, research, and public service. In addition, many of these sites act as bases for research in nearby natural areas and provide database, housing, and experimental facilities. The thirty-five reserves in the system are open to all qualified individuals and institutions for scholarly work in disciplines ranging from geology and environmental sciences to anthropology and art. For more information on the NRS, contact the NRS campus office at 805-893-4127, or email moore@msi.ucsb.edu, or visit the website at http://nrs.ucop.edu. The Santa Barbara campus administers seven reserves: Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve, Coal Oil Point Reserve, K.S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve, Santa Cruz Island Reserve, Sedgwick Reserve, Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL) and Valentine Camp. Undergraduate Research UCSB undergraduates have an extraordinary opportunity: the chance to work with world-class faculty in areas ranging from digital multimedia, marine science, and ethnic studies to next-generation computers, neurodegenerative disease, the performing arts, and systems biology. Professors in nearly every department on campus and more than 80 research units encourage undergraduates to join their research teams in labs, studios, or field locations as distant as Antarctica. Detailed information about the value of undergraduate research—the other half of a great education—appears on the campus-wide undergraduate research website at: http://research.ucsb.edu/undergrad. Also included: how to get started, where to find funding, wide-ranging images and student stories, a list of contacts for information about UCSB opportunities and programs, and more. Names, numbers, locations, and e-mail addresses of people who can help are listed for the following areas: the College of Letters and Science’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA), the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), the Materials Research Laboratory, the College of Creative Studies, the College of Engineering, the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, and the Graduate Division. Summer opportunities are linked as well. Return to Top of Page |
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