The CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program (I2P) has awarded funding to three projects at the University of California, Santa Cruz, aimed at leveraging technology to address major societal challenges. This initiative supports Principal Investigators (PIs) in developing innovative solutions in key areas including Society, Media and Technology; Agricultural Technology (AgTech); and Educational Technology (EdTech).
The 2025-26 funding cycle attracted a competitive pool of proposals, with the review committee ultimately selecting three standout projects that demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration across eight departments.
Projects Overview
One of the funded projects is titled Understanding Computational Thinking and Skill Development with Large Language Models. Led by Leilani Gilpin, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, the project aims to explore the impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) on computational thinking in a research environment. Alongside co-PIs Hannah Hausman (assistant professor of psychology) and linguistics professors Matt Wagers and Pranav Anand, the team will conduct a pilot study where participants will tackle programming tasks.
During the study, half of the participants will utilize an LLM while the others will rely on a traditional search engine. The researchers will gather multimodal behavioral data—including eye fixations, mouse clicks, and keystrokes—while also administering a questionnaire to assess recall, inference, and application skills. The goal is to develop a predictive model of mastery based on this behavioral data, which could be applicable to various educational tasks.
The second project, Equitable Environmental Sensing for Sustainability, is led by Colleen Josephson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. This initiative aims to create a low-cost, open-source environmental sensing platform tailored for small growers, promoting equitable climate adaptation. Co-PI Crystele Leathaud from the Center for Agroecology will collaborate with Josephson to integrate wireless sensor design and participatory research.
The platform will monitor essential factors such as soil moisture and microclimate conditions, assisting growers in making informed irrigation decisions.
Disaster Response and Community Engagement
The third project, REMEDIATE: Integrated Air and Soil Monitoring for Community-Engaged Disaster Response and Recovery, is spearheaded by Javier Gonzalez-Rocha, assistant professor of applied mathematics. Joining him are co-PIs Adina Paytan, professor of earth and planetary sciences, and Tamara Ball, lecturer and director of experiential learning at the Baskin School of Engineering and Rachel Carson College.
This project seeks to enhance the understanding of contaminant deposition and distribution in affected landscapes by integrating airborne and surface-level data. By employing a combination of sensor networks and targeted soil sampling, the team aims to produce comprehensive environmental assessments that can quickly identify hotspots and inform mitigation strategies.
Their approach links responsive air modeling with deployable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology, facilitating efficient and community-oriented environmental assessments, which are often challenging to achieve through traditional monitoring methods.
The CITRIS program runs annually, inviting proposals during the summer quarter. The upcoming UC-wide CITRIS Core Seed Funding program will open for submissions in February 2026, requiring teams to include researchers from at least two of the UC CITRIS campuses, which include UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz.
In addition to funding research projects, CITRIS at UC Santa Cruz supports student initiatives through the Tech for Social Good program, with applications for the technology track open until November 15, 2025. Furthermore, CITRIS offers the CIDER Drone Pilot Training program, focusing on agricultural and environmental applications, with applications currently accepted until November 3, 2025.
For more details on funding opportunities and programs, visit the CITRIS website.
