2024 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC)
Strategic Issues: Climate Change and Renewable Energy Development
The Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) and University of California Alianza MX (UC Alianza MX) are pleased to announce a Call for Collaborative Research Proposals in Applied Sciences.
Collaborative research proposals should significantly promote scientific knowledge and technological advances that contribute to a positive social impact. 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.
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. Proposal submissions are required to include at least two PIs from the UC system and at least one from IPN. Selected projects are 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 exciting new joint research projects.
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:
Dr. Jack Gilbert, Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, UC San Diego
Dr. Karsten Zengler, Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, UC San Diego
Dr. Edgar Cano Europa, Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB)
Development and evaluation of an innovative label-free gene-sensor to detect molecular biomarkers associated to Breast Cancer based on Magnetic Induction Spectroscopy measurements in final products of Chain Reaction Polymerase.
The social impact of the project is to lay solid foundations to bring economical molecular biomedicine technology to the first level of health care with economic benefits in low-resource regions of Latin America and the world.
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Boris Rubinsky, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley
Dr. Simo A. Mäkiharju, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley
Dr. César Antonio González Díaz, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación
Dr. 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 Universidad Autónoma de 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 exciting new joint research projects.
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
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 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (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 exciting new joint research projects.
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
Research questions:
Can nanomaterials mitigate and arrest the degradation of construction materials used in historic buildings by contaminant gases and bacteria?
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Rubén Darío Cadena Nava, Center of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, UNAM
Dr. Luis Cedeño Caero, Department of Chemical Engineering, UNAM
Dr. Sergio Fuentes Moyado, Center of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, UNAM
Dr. Ioanna Kakoulli, Dept of Materials Science & Engineering, UCLA
Dr. Francisco Zaera, Dept of Chemistry, UCR
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 exciting new joint
research projects.
Principal Investigators:
Dr. R. David Britt, Dept of Chemistry, UC Davis
Dr. Glenn L. Millhauser, Dept of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz
Dr. Liliana Quintanar Vera, Dept of Chemistry and Center for Research in Aging, Cinvestav Zacatenco
Dr. José Segovia Vila, Physiology, Dept of Biophysics & Neuroscience, Cinvestav Zacatenco
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Maribel Hernandez-Rosales, Dept of Bioinformatics & Complex Systems, Cinvestav Irapuato
Dr. Gabriela Olmedo-Álvarez, Dept of Molecular Biology & Microbial Ecology, Cinvestav Irapuato
Dr. Adam Olshen, Dept of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UC San Francisco
Dr. Alejandra Rodríguez-Verdugo, Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine
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.
Research projects were required to promote binational collaboration by including at least one principal investigator from the UC and at least one principal investigator
from UNAM.
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.
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)
