For questions on joint research funds or for assistance identifying potential collaborators, please contact AlianzaMXResearch@ucr.edu.
Interested in submitting a proposal for joint research funding?
Eligibility
Proposals must include at least two (2) principal investigators (PIs) from the UC system and collaborators from a partner institution in Mexico. For assistance with identifying collaborators, please consult the Faculty Directory below or contact Alianza MX.
Funding
Proposals can request funding for up to 24 months to support research assistants, supplies and services, conferences and workshops, and travel. Funds cannot be used for PI salaries, student tuition and fees, or to cover department overhead or indirect costs.
Application
Alianza MX organizes joint research funds and opens calls for proposals through specific agreements with Mexican partner institutions. Funding awards from Alianza MX support UC researchers and funding from Mexican partners supports participants from their institutions.
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2024-25 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC)
Strategic Issues: Climate Change and Renewable Energy Development
Alianza MX launched a joint call for research proposals with the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) in September 2024. Selected projects were eligible for up to USD $25,000 in funding per year over two years from Alianza MX, with matching funds for research at UABC.
Three (3) proposals submitted to the call were selected for funding support. Please see below for details and check back here soon for updates on these joint research projects.
Wildfires in Baja California: From vulnerable to resilient communities and ecosystems
This project aims to close critical gaps in understanding of wildfires’ impact on biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, climactic stress, and the challenges faced by remaining and displaced populations. It uses a suite of climate models to study historical fire incidence and emission data, as well as interviews and surveys with residents to calibrate these models. And it advances disaster preparedness by developing a guide to actionable solutions for local communities.
Principal Investigators:
Leila Carvalho, Geography and Earth Research Institute, UC Santa Barbara
David Enrique Flores Jiménez, Instituto de Ingeniería, UABC Mexicali
Amy Frazier, Department of Geography and Earth Research Institute, UC Santa Barbara
Charles Jones, Geography and Earth Research Institute, UC Santa Barbara
David Lopez-Carr, Geography, UC Santa Barbara
Sheila Morales Flores, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Políticas, UABC Mexicali
Lya Margarita Nino Contreras, Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, UABC Mexicali
Néstor Santillán Soto, Instituto de Ingeniería, UABC Mexicali
Mapping Energy Poverty Through Interactive Media
This project uses AI-driven and interactive approaches to address the spatial dynamics of energy injustices. It uses comparative analysis of urban contexts in Santa Cruz and Ensenada to deepen understanding of energy poverty across socioeconomic, environmental, and geospatial dimensions. And it aims to address the pressing need for equitable interventions to mitigate energy poverty’s impacts on marginalized communities while supporting sustainable urban development.
Principal Investigators:
Elin Carstensdottir, Computational Media, UC Santa Cruz
Seif El Nasr, Computational Media, UC Santa Cruz
Marcos Eduardo González Trevizo, Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, UABC Ensenada
Karen Estrella Martínez Torres, Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, UABC Ensenada
Developing a long-term social-ecological monitoring program to enhance the resilience of the coasts of Baja California, Mexico
This project focuses on the development of a robust resilience monitoring program across the coastal ecosystems and communities of Baja California. It utilizes underwater and coastal surveys to document critical biophysical variables, biodiversity, and ecosystem health, and integrates social-ecological indicators to provide a holistic resilience assessment.
Principal Investigators:
Mark Carr, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz
Kyle Cavanaugh, Geography, UC Los Angeles
Luis Malpica Cruz, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, UABC Ensenada
José Alberto Zepeda Domínguez, Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, UABC Ensenada
2023-24 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
National Polytechnic Institute (IPN)
Applied Research: Environmental Remediation & Treatment of Metabolic Diseases
Alianza MX launched a joint call for research proposals with the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) in 2024. Selected projects were eligible for up to USD $37,500 in funding per year over two years from Alianza MX, with matching funds for research at IPN.
Two (2) proposals submitted to the call were selected for funding support. Please see below for details and check back here soon for updates on these joint research projects.
Phycocyanin prevents chronic kidney disease-causes intestinal dysbiosis. A mechanism associated with the antihypertensive effect of phycocyanin
The goal of this project is to determine if the prebiotic effect of a biotherapeutic formulated with phycocyanin and agavins is associated with the prevention of intestinal dysbiosis and the reduction of urea retention solutes as an anti-hypertensive and retarding mechanism of cardiovascular complications in an animal model of chronic kidney disease.
Principal Investigators:
Jack Gilbert, Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, UC San Diego
Karsten Zengler, Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, UC San Diego
Edgar Cano Europa, Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB)
Label-Free Gene-Sensor for Molecular Markers associated to Breast Cancer based on Magnetic Induction Spectroscopy
This proposal seeks to develop a complete gene-sensor system to detect breast cancer molecular markers with enough sensitivity and specificity for potential clinical use, laying a solid foundation for bringing economical molecular biomedicine technology to the first level of health care in low-resource regions of Latin America and the world.
Principal Investigators:
César Antonio González Díaz, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación
Simo A. Mäkiharju, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley
Boris Rubinsky, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley
Virginia Sánchez Monroy, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación
2023-24 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC)
Strategic Issues: Artificial Intelligence, Migration, and Public Health
Alianza MX launched a joint call for research proposals with the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) in October 2023. Proposal submissions are required to include at least two UC PIs and two UABC PIs. Selected projects are eligible for up to USD $25,000 in funding per year over two years from Alianza MX, with matching funds for research at UABC.
Two (2) proposals submitted to the call were selected for funding support. Please see below for details and check back here soon for updates on these joint research projects.
Artificial intelligence applications for forecasting shoreline evolution and flows in small estuaries at the Cali-Baja region
This project applies artificial intelligence tools to: (1) predict shoreline change along small inlets in the Cali-Baja region, and (2) simulate the flow in those estuaries. It uses existing data to train artificial intelligence tools to explore diverse scenarios, including flow and stratification in estuaries, and then train AI techniques to provide flows for different mouth configurations. The outcomes of this project will support science-based decision-making for effective management practices and planning strategies in response to climate change impacts in the binational region.
Principal Investigators:
Fabian Bombardelli, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UC Davis
John L. Largier, Bodega Marine Laboratory / Environmental Science & Policy, UC Davis
Isaac Rodríguez-Padilla, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, UABC Ensenada
Amaia Ruiz de Alegría-Arzaburu, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, UABC Ensenada
Active screening for tuberculosis cases in the incarcerated population in two prisons in Baja California using genomic technology and artificial intelligence
This project seeks to Identify cases of pulmonary tuberculosis using artificial intelligence tools, confirm diagnoses using bacteriological/molecular methods and skin testing. It will then use genome sequencing to analyze TB drug resistance profiles, investigate origins and dispersion patterns, identify and document new mutations, and create a comprehensive database.
Principal Investigators:
Richard S. Garfein, School of Public Health, UC San Diego
Raquel Muñiz Salazar, School of Health Sciences, UABC Ensenada
Timothy Rodwell, Dept. of Medicine, UC San Diego
Luis Jesús Villarreal Gómez, School of Engineering & Technological Sciences, UABC Tijuana
2022-23 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
Climate Resilience in Urban and Rural Areas
Alianza MX launched a joint call for research proposals with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in February 2023. Proposal submissions are required to include at least three PIs, including at least two from the UC. Selected projects were eligible for up to USD $25,000 in funding per year over two years from Alianza MX, with matching funds for research at UNAM.
Three proposals submitted to the call were selected for funding support. Please see below for details and check back here soon for updates on these joint research projects.
Toward Sustainable Carbon Negative Bioproduction: Uncovering Thermodynamic Bottlenecks in Essential Metabolic Pathways
Research questions:
How does sustainable food production using CO2 feedstocks affect metabolic constraints in E. coli?
Can cells be engineered to overcome these limitations and address climate-related problems, including efficient carbon fixation and increased efficiency of food production?
Principal Investigators:
José A. Farias-Rico, Center for Genomic Sciences, UNAM
Neema Jamshidi, Radiological Sciences, UC Los Angeles
José Utrilla-Carreri, Center for Genomic Sciences, UNAM
Daniel C. Zielinski, Systems Biology Research Group, UC San Diego
Development of Additives Based on Nanomaterials for the Protection of Historical Buildings from Contaminant Gases and Biodeterioration in Urban Areas
Research questions:
Can nanomaterials mitigate and arrest the degradation of construction materials used in historic buildings by contaminant gases and bacteria?
Principal Investigators:
Rubén Darío Cadena Nava, Center of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, UNAM
Luis Cedeño Caero, Department of Chemical Engineering, UNAM
Sergio Fuentes Moyado, Center of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, UNAM
Ioanna Kakoulli, Dept of Materials Science & Engineering, UCLA
Francisco Zaera, Dept of Chemistry, UCR
Biogeochemical Responses to Shelf Sea Dynamics in the Yucatan Shelf
Research questions:
How do climate-driven mechanisms of upwelling, nutrient transport, and algal blooms on the northern Yucatan continental shelf affect local fisheries?
Principal Investigators:
Daniele Bianchi, Dept of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, UC Los Angeles
Jorge Alejandro Kurczyn Robledo, Institute of Engineering, UNAM
Nick Nidzieko, Dept of Geography, UC Santa Barbara
Alejandro J. Souza, Center for Research & Advanced Studies (Cinvestav-Mérida)
2022-23 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Center for Research & Advanced Studies (Cinvestav)
Agriculture, Plant Genomics, Marine Sciences, and Health
Alianza MX launched a joint call for research proposals with the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) in September 2022. Proposal submissions were required to include at least three PIs, including at least two from either Cinvestav or the UC. Selected projects were eligible for up to USD $50,000 in total funding per year over two years from Alianza MX, with matching funds for research at Cinvestav.
Two proposals submitted to the call were selected for funding support. Please see below for details and check back here soon for updates on these joint
research projects.
Ex-vivo and in-vitro spectroscopic studies of ternary copper-prion interactions and its implications in Alzheimer's disease
Principal Investigators:
R. David Britt, Dept of Chemistry, UC Davis
Glenn L. Millhauser, Dept of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz
Liliana Quintanar Vera, Dept of Chemistry and Center for Research in Aging, Cinvestav Zacatenco
José Segovia Vila, Physiology, Dept of Biophysics & Neuroscience, Cinvestav Zacatenco
Looking for clues to today's problem of antibiotic-resistant strains in ancient microbial mats
Principal Investigators:
Maribel Hernandez-Rosales, Dept of Bioinformatics & Complex Systems, Cinvestav Irapuato
Gabriela Olmedo-Álvarez, Dept of Molecular Biology & Microbial Ecology, Cinvestav Irapuato
Adam Olshen, Dept of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UC San Francisco
Alejandra Rodríguez-Verdugo, Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine
SPECIAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Tecnológico de Monterrey - UC Davis
Seed Funding for Exploratory Research
Alianza MX launched a Special Call in 2023 with Tec de Monterrey and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) to provide seed funding for exploratory research in the areas of climate change, public health and advancing underserved populations. This initiative built on a bilateral cooperation agreement signed in August 2022 by supporting the development of long-term research collaborations that would in turn be capable of generating research project proposals for funding from other institutional and extramural sources.
Three (3) proposals submitted to the call were selected for funding support. Please see below for details and check back here soon for updates on these exploratory research groups.
Empowering Mobile, Energy-efficient and Sustainable 3D Printing Systems for Emergencies and Rural Communities
Barbara Linke, Dept of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UC Davis
Erick Ramírez-Cedillo, School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey
A Machine Learning Approach to Modeling Pandemic Scenarios Using Testing, Positivity Rates and SARS-CoV-2 RNA Concentrations in Wastewater
Miriam Nuño, Dept of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis
Claudia Rangel-Escareño, School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey
Challenging Ableism in STEM: Mapping the Intersectional Landscape of Disability Status with Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Natalia Caporale, Dept of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, UC Davis
Cristina G. Reynaga-Peña, Department of Education, Tecnológico de Monterrey
Faheemah N. Mustafaa, School of Education, UC Davis
SPECIAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
Binational Collaborative Projects Addressing COVID-19
Alianza MX launched a Special Call in 2020 with support from UC MEXUS, the UC Berkeley Health Initiative of the Americas, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), through its Coordination of Engagement and Technology Transfer (CVTT) and InnovaUNAM. A second round of the call was launched in 2021 to provide additional funding support for a subset of projects from the first round.
Nineteen (19) proposals submitted to Phase I of the call were selected for funding support, and five (5) projects were selected to receive additional funding during Phase II. Please see below for details.
Phase I: April 2020–October 2021
Phase I of the Special Funding Call received 137 proposals. These included 25 in the biomedical sciences, 32 in health systems, and 59 on the social and economic consequences of the pandemic, while an additional 21 proposals covered multiple topics. Researchers, academics, and students from more than 40 UNAM entities and nine campuses of the University of California participated. A total of 19 projects were selected to each receive USD $5,000 in funding support.
Phase II: October 2021–December 2022
In October 2021, Phase I projects were invited to submit proposals for a second funding stage. From the initial group of 19 projects, 12 submitted proposals for Phase II, with special consideration given to the possibility of licensing technology or establishing new companies that could help secure additional funding. Five projects were selected to each receive USD $25,000 in funding support:
YangQuan Chen, UC Merced
Rafael Ángel Barrio Paredes, UNAM Physics Institute
William H. Fenical, UC San Diego
Rachel Mata Essayag, UNAM Department of Chemistry
Lucia Abascal & Jamie Sepulveda, UC San Francisco
Dania Lima Sánchez, UNAM Department of Biomedical Informatics
Claudia Wehrhahn Cortes & Zehang Richard Li, UC Santa Cruz
Luis Vaca Domínguez, UNAM Institute of Cellular Physiology
Manuela Raffatellu, UC San Diego
Araceli Pérez López, UNAM Biomedical Research Unit (FES Iztacala)
For questions regarding joint research funding proposals, or for more information on projects from a previous call, please contact Alianza MX.