Overview | UCB Research

Berkeley: A Premier Research University

The University of California, Berkeley is one of the world's premier research universities. It is committed to maintaining a research environment conducive to creating and freely disseminating the very best scholarly contributions and scientific discoveries. Berkeley is consistently rated among the top institutions in the world for the quality and breadth of its research enterprise, for the scholarly distinction of its faculty, for the excellence of its Ph.D. programs, and for the amount of funding received for support of its research programs.

Berkeley ranks first amongst U.S. universities in the number of its research programs considered "distinguished" (32), according to the most recent National Research Council study of American universities. It also ranks first in the number of its Graduate Programs (35) considered to be among the top ten in their fields. Among its current faculty are 7 Nobel laureates, 132 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 74 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 14 recipients of the National Medal of Science, and 227 Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Over the past two decades, Berkeley faculty also received over 150 Guggenheim and 28 MacArthur Fellowships.

Each year, the Berkeley campus receives approximately one-half billion dollars in research support from external sources. In 2007, the federal government provides 56% of these sponsored research funds, and agencies of the State of California, industry, and the non-profit sector supply the rest. Of the research funding provided by the U.S. government, the largest contributors are the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Science Foundation, with each contributing approximately one-quarter of the federal funding. Berkeley's core research community is made up of some 1,500 full time faculty, 9,000 graduate students, and approximately 1,200 post-doctoral fellows who come from throughout the world to participate in the research of our academic departments, laboratories, and research centers. In addition, many undergraduate students participate in the campus's cutting-edge research projects, either as part of their coursework or as research and laboratory assistants. Research is conducted within the University's 130 academic departments and in its numerous research institutes and centers, museums, and field stations.

An important part of Berkeley's research mission is to ensure that the public benefits from our research through developing practical applications of our research results. To that end, the University's Office of Technology Licensing works with campus inventors to facilitate the transfer of UC-Berkeley-created technologies and software into the commercial sector for public use. Currently, Berkeley owns 492 U.S. and 335 foreign patents and has 227 active license agreements with commercial firms for the use of its patented technologies.

The research section of the Berkeley campus WEB site provides ready access to comprehensive information about the Berkeley research enterprise. The Research @Berkeley Magazine highlights ongoing research projects and discoveries. Those interested in finding out about the activities of Berkeley's many research centers, museums, and field stations should click on the Research Units button. For anyone interested in the scientific, technical, and scholarly expertise available among our faculty members and in the research they are conducting, clicking on the button Faculty Research Interests & Expertise will provide a searchable database. Those interested in scholarly papers published by research centers and departments, many available on-line, can find relevant information by clicking on the Working Papers button. Information about University, Federal, and State policies and regulations governing the conduct of research can be found under Research Regulations. For information about various types of research positions and appointments, as well as for information about administrative services provided to research units click on the Research Support Services button. The Funding Opportunities button provides useful information regarding grant opportunities and procedures both on and off the campus. For information about the transfer to society of University-created technology click on the University/Industry Relations button. For an overview of the office with overall responsibility for the management of the Berkeley research enterprise click the Research Office button.