20 Years of Research and Discovery

The California Institutes for Science and Innovation celebrate their 20th anniversary. In December 2000, Gov. Gray Davis created four UC-based California Institutes of Science and Innovation to support interdisciplinary research in fields that were critical to the state's economic future: Biomedicine, bioengineering, nanosystems, telecommunications and information technology.

Known collectively as the Cal ISIs, they have helped California remain a leader in clean technologies, next-generation therapeutics, cutting-edge biomaterials and more over the last two decades. They are: The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS); The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3); The California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CalIT2) and; The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI).

The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is a hub of interdisciplinary research, translation and education. Research spans the gamut from engineers and oncologists creating drug delivery systems to treat cancer; chemists, physicists and neurologists developing nanoelectronic sensors for mapping the brain; and environmental engineers and biologists using nanobiotechnology to clean pollutants from water. To spur basic discovery and translation, CNSI has developed synergistic platforms at its UC Santa Barbara and UCLA sites to facilitate interdisciplinary team science, provide critical research capabilities, and create an environment for entrepreneurship and educational outreach. CNSI investments have led to over $250 million in research funding and made significant contributions to economic development and job creation throughout California. During the past five years, CNSI incubators have supported 66 start-up companies that have raised over $700 million in funding and created more than 800 new jobs.

CNSI is developing new programs in nanomedicine, quantum biology and bio-industrial manufacturing. CNSI will continue to expand its world-class instrumentation and infrastructure, openly available to UC-wide researchers, while providing critical resources and leadership for workplace development, technology transfer and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Success will drive future high-tech enterprise and lead to new opportunities that fuel California's economic growth and prosperity.

The ISIs plan to celebrate 20 years of research innovation and commemorate this important milestone throughout 2021. For more information about the ISIs, please visit: CITRIS and the Banatao Institute, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology and The California NanoSystems Institute.