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Digital Innovation for the Public Good

Catalyzing Collaborative Research for High Impact

The UC Noyce Initiative's mission is to advance research collaborations in critical areas of digital technology and innovation to drive informed, ethical and timely discovery for the public good. 
 

It brings together researchers from five UC campuses Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara by building community and awarding competitive grants focused in these key areas:

Robert Noyce and Ann Bowers

Robert Noyce and Ann Bowers Legacies of drive and innovation

Robert "Bob" N. Noyce, Ph.D. was a physicist and one of the most pivotal visionaries and innovators of the 20th century. He invented the integrated circuit, more commonly known as the microchip, and co-founded both Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel. Ann Schmeltz Bowers was a technology industry executive pioneer, longtime philanthropist and the wife of Noyce. In 2020, The Robert N. Noyce Trust made a gift to the University of California system to launch the UC Noyce Initiative to honor their legacies.

The Power of Five

The power and potential of the UC Noyce Initiative lies in our cooperative spirit. Together, we are driving discovery around the most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities in digital innovation. Learn more about the Power of Five.

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Latest News

Making Prosthetics More Lifelike

David Brockman, a retired CalFire captain and avid outdoorsman, built a deck in the backyard of his home last year, without the use of his dominant right hand, which he lost in an accident. The prosthetic hand he used instead was a crude but functional steel hook-and-harness device.

Brockman has tried other artificial limbs, including a high-tech prosthesis called a myoelectric. It looks like a hand and works by using electrical signals from muscles in the forearm. But that one just didn’t work for him.

UC Noyce Initiative Researchers Recognized in Honor of International Women's Day

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, the University of California, Davis, College of Engineering recognized some key female engineers  in recognition for how they inspire inclusion in engineering. Among those recognized were two researchers from the UC Noyce Initiative: Child Family Professor in Engineering Chen-Nee Chuah and Associate Professor Marina Radulaski.

The following are excerpts from the Q&A featuring Chuah and Radulaski: