Q: What are you most proud of in your involvement with the UC Noyce Initiative? A: What I'm most proud of is the progress we've made in becoming a high-functioning, tightly integrated team executing on the initiative. We've gone from a loose collaboration to a truly collegial and productive relationship between the campuses and the trustees. I'm also very proud of the foundations we've built in major technology directions that have tremendous scope for positive impact, like computational health, quantum computing, and cybersecurity. And I'm proud of the transparent and responsible decision-making we've established for every aspect of the UC Noyce Initiative. Q: What parting words would you say to those who are or were considering getting involved with the UC Noyce Initiative? A: To those who have been funded by the UC Noyce Initiative, my parting words would be: Remember the responsibility you have to live up to Dr. Noyce's name and legacy. The work you do through this initiative must strive to achieve the excellence and impact that Noyce himself embodied. To our institutional leaders who continue to support the UC Noyce Initiative, I would say: Keep supporting this unique collaboration, as it holds tremendous potential to realize the highest aspirations set forth by the Noyce Trust's investment. The foundations we have built together as a team of campus leaders, the executive director, and the trustees are primed for long-term success. And to any researchers considering getting involved, I encourage you to look for opportunities to participate. If you have ideas that align with the initiative's mission of leveraging digital technologies for societal good, reach out to us. We remain open to new directions and innovative proposals that can make a real difference. Ultimately, my parting message is one of pride and inspiration. I'm proud of what we've accomplished so far, and I'm deeply committed to seeing the UC Noyce Initiative succeed in honoring the legacy of its namesake. I will continue to be a steadfast supporter, even as I step away from my leadership role. ◆ Q: Why is philanthropic support so important for research and innovation? A: Philanthropic support is singularly important for fostering groundbreaking innovation and research. Industry funding tends to be more short-term and risk-averse, while federal government funding can also be conservative and focused on lower-risk projects with existing data. This leaves a gap for truly innovative, unproven ideas that have not yet generated sufficient evidence for federal funding. Philanthropic support, like the Noyce Trust's investment in the UC Noyce Initiative, allows us to fund new, collaborative ideas that have not yet been tried. This provides the critical initial funding to build the foundations and get initial results, which can then be used to secure larger pools of funding from federal agencies. Philanthropy plays an indispensable role in enabling the kind of high-risk, high-reward research that has the potential to change the world.
Pramod Khargonekar and fellow founding members of the UCNI Executive Committee, 2022
From Left: Dan Lowenstein (UCSF), Prasant Mohapatra (UC Davis), Chancellor Henry Yang (UC Santa Barbara), Pierre Wiltzius (UC Santa Barbara), Michael Groom (Noyce Trustee), Pramod Khargonekar (UC Irvine), Kathy Yelick (UC Berkeley), and Timothy Hopkins (Noyce Trustee).
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