Grand
Challenges
Harnessing the power of UC Davis to holistically tackle wicked problems
Significance
Focuses on a challenge the campus community recognizes as a wicked problem
Global Solutions Start Here
Addressing our planet’s most complex issues requires new perspectives and visionary action. Grand Challenges is catalyzing our campus community to go beyond team science to holistically tackle wicked problems. We draw upon UC Davis’ enduring strengths, capacity for innovation and culture of collaboration — bringing together world-class researchers from all areas of study to address the Earth’s most daunting challenges.
Big Picture, Grass Roots
Built from a foundation of grassroots work and prioritized by leaders across UC Davis, Grand Challenges cultivates and champions work to understand and find innovative solutions to complex issues. The work done by our campus community will serve as a global model and enable our world to move forward with equity and resilience.
Selection Criteria
The above challenges have been selected for our initial efforts. Your nominations and suggestions for other challenges are welcome. To be selected, challenges must meet the following criteria:
Impact
Moves the needle toward better solutions using transdisciplinary collaboration
Expertise
Capitalizes on the talents of our campus and UC Davis’ unique strengths
Inclusivity
Provides opportunities for all disciplines, schools, and colleges to have a role
Nominated Challenges
CEPI teams with UC Davis to identify viruses most likely to emerge
CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and University of California, Davis have announced a new partnership agreement to advance and expand the application of “SpillOver,” a viral ranking app that directly compares the risks posed by hundreds of animal and human viruses. The database ranks hundreds of virus, host, and environmental risk factors to […]
Searching for the Next Deadly Virus, Before it Ignites Another Pandemic
Amazing work by the UC Davis One Health Institute to detect new viruses in global hotspots was recently featured on the CBS television news magazine 60 Minutes. Christine Kreuder Johnson, Co-Champion of the Grand Challenges Emerging Health Threats focus area, was among those interviewed about this critical effort. Click here to read more about Epi-Intelligence […]
Grand Challenges Champions: Collaboration Key to Solving Daunting Issues
A passion for connecting people and tackling the world’s wicked problems unites the UC Davis Grand Challenges Champions. Beth Rose Middleton Manning, Isabel Montañez, Christine Kreuder Johnson, and Justin Siegel spoke about their roles as challenge champions during a UC Davis Plugged In virtual event Sept. 28. Champions are people who have partnered with Grand […]