Applied Research

Overview

UCDRN channels the extensive research underway across the UC system and ensures science is translated into real world resilience for communities.

UCDRN seeks to incubate innovative research on resilience while coordinating research funding, seed grants, and knowledge-sharing. As this activity is developed, programs targeted to allow researchers to rapidly collect data and conduct analyses around crises will be prioritized.

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UCDRN’s first effort at incubation was a research partnership with UC Santa Barbara’s Natural Reserve System, tribal, community, and agency partners to facilitate atmospheric modeling, strategic environmental monitoring, and experimental burning to assess and reduce risks and impacts of wildfire-related disasters prior to their occurrence. In July 2022, this initiative received a $1.5 million grant from the Moore Foundation. In its first year of operation, this wildfire research initiative is proceeding as planned, with multiple burns conducted, a flux tower erected, and new data collection begun.

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Looking Ahead

The next steps for this work is to pursue larger, system-wide grants to expand disaster resilience research in California and beyond. For example, UCDRN submitted a $6.6 million proposal for climate action in 2023. Entitled “Empowering California’s Vulnerable Communities through Climate Analytics,” the project proposed a statewide consortium of scientists, outreach specialists and stakeholders led by UCDRN to leverage investments in climate and wildfire knowledge to address state climate priorities.