The need to fund new research models that can accelerate building systems innovation has begun to be acknowledged, nationally and across the globe. In 2010, recognition of the transformative potential of radically new research collaborations for sustainable built environments led the National Science Foundation to request funding proposals that for the first time in history required architects to be incorporated into the researchers’ teams.
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Every day, there seems to be another news story about the dire state of higher education in California. With state government facing record deficits and the economy still struggling to recover, the University of California has been hard-hit with successive budget cuts. UC Berkeley, despite its status as the system’s flagship campus, has not been exempt from resource reductions and staff layoffs. Funding from the state’s general fund now accounts for only about one-fifth of Cal’s budget; for the first time ever, both the share of funds from philanthropic support and the share from student fees exceeded contributions from the state. We are indeed living in interesting times!
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