Eligibility
Since 2022, proposals submitted to Special Funding calls must include at least three principal investigators (PIs). At least one PI must come from the UC system and at least one must come from a Mexican partner institution. (Note: Before 2022, proposals were only required to include at least one PI from the UC and at least one PI from Mexico.)
Amounts
Seed funding for research proposals varies depending on the specific conditions established for each special call. Funds may be used to support field research, conferences and workshops, and project staff. Funds may not be used to cover overhead or indirect costs.
Submission
Specific instructions for applications to each special call are available on the Alianza MX Research & Innovation Resources page. Proposals must be submitted with support from the PI’s campus Office of Research or Office of Sponsored Projects.
Information
For questions about a Special Funding Call or for assistance in identifying potential collaborators on a research proposal, please contact alianzaucmx@ucr.edu.
Open Funding Calls
UC-UNAM Special Call for Projects Addressing COVID-19
Alianza MX launched its first Special Call in 2020 with support from UC MEXUS, the UC Berkeley Health Initiative of the Americas, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico Coordination for Engagement and Technology Transfer, InnovaUNAM.
A second-round Special Call was launched in 2021 to provide additional funding support for a subset of projects from the first Special Call.
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.
From this list, 19 projects were selected to receive USD $5,000 in funding.
| Project Name | UC Campus |
|---|---|
|
COVID Access: Web plaform to look for information regarding COVID-19 |
San Francisco |
|
Anti-COVID peptides: Blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection with engineered peptides |
Los Angeles |
|
Characterization of brain ACE2→ANGIOTENSIN-(1-7)→MAS RECEPTOR AXIS, its association with cognitive behavior and regulation by vitamin “d” in western diet-induced obesity |
Riverside |
|
Online psychological counseling to serve the migrant population in California during COVID-19 |
Riverside |
|
Web platform to build communities and solidarity economy networks |
Merced |
|
Discovering inhibitors of the SARS-COV-2 spike protein from natural sources |
San Diego |
|
Design and testing of an intervention to mitigate health consequences of Covid-19 in migrants |
San Diego |
|
Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in vulnerable populations in Tijuana, Mexico |
San Diego |
|
Fractional calculus-based modeling & prediction of COVID19 spreading with network effects |
Merced |
|
Impact of COVID-19 on Young People’s Labor Market Participation, Political Engagement & Well-Being |
Los Angeles |
| Project Name | UC Campus |
|---|---|
|
Modeling the de-escalation of control measurements of COVID-19 in California and Baja California |
Davis |
|
Pathophysiological analysis of ACE2’s role in COVID19: could HRT ameliorate the disease severity? |
San Diego |
|
Psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 in farmworkers from avocado farms in Michoacán, Mexico |
Berkeley |
|
Economic recovery in San Juan Tlacotenco, Tepoztlán, Morelos |
Berkeley |
|
Reducing vulnerability to COVID through a community-based approach in small rural establishments. The case of the tortilla handmakers in the Purépecha area of Michoacán |
Irvine |
|
Surveillance system in wastewater treatment plants for SARS-CoV-2 in Mexico City and San Francisco |
Berkeley |
|
Targeting neutrophils as a strategy to ameliorate severe COVID-19 |
San Diego |
|
The compounded impact of COVID-19 on agricultural workers in the presence of two major health risks for farmworkers, namely heat stress and Covid-19 infection |
Santa Barbara |
|
Validation of a portable molecular diagnostic system for SARS-CoV-2 for point-of-care |
Santa Cruz |
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.
From this list, five projects were selected to receive USD $25,000 in funding.
| Project Name | UC Campus |
|---|---|
|
Discovering inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from natural sources |
San Diego |
|
Fractional calculus-based modeling & prediction of COVID19 spreading with network effects |
Merced |
|
COVID Access: Web platform to look for information regarding COVID-19 |
San Francsico |
|
Targeting neutrophils as a strategy to ameliorate severe COVID-19 |
San Diego |
|
Validation of a portable molecular diagnostic system for SARS-CoV-2 for point-of-care |
Santa Cruz |
PIs on Phase II projects also prepared short videos explaining their research:
Discovering inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from natural sources
Fractional calculus-based modeling and prediction of COVID-19 spreading with network effects
COVID Access: Web platform to look for information regarding COVID-19
Targeting neutrophils as a strategy to ameliorate severe COVID-19
Validation of a portable molecular diagnostic system for SARS-CoV-2 for point-of-care
Open Funding Calls
UC-CINVESTAV Joint Call for Research Proposals
Alianza MX launched a Joint Call for Research Proposals in 2022 with the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) in Mexico City, establishing a new framework for supporting collaborative research between the two institutions.
The joint call for research proposals focused on core research topics of significant importance to both institutions: agriculture, plant genomics, marine sciences, and health. Proposals were required to include at least three PIs, including at least two from either Cinvestav or the UC.
Two proposals will be selected for awards of up to $100,000 USD over two years. These awards will be announced in late November 2022
For more information on the Joint Call for Research proposals, please see here.
Open Funding Calls
UC-UNAM Special Call For Projects In Renewable Energy
Alianza MX is currently studying opportunities for an additional special call for renewable energy projects. More information will be shared on this special call in the near future.