Regents applaud proof‑of‑concept pilot; president announces continuation of POC funding

President Michael Milikin announced March 17 that the University of California will continue and seek to expand a systemwide proof‑of‑concept (POC) pilot aimed at moving university research toward commercial‑ready products.

The announcement followed presentations to the Board of Regents showing the pilot has supported projects across UC campuses and produced measurable follow‑on activity. Paul Robin, associate vice chancellor for innovation and commercialization at UC San Diego, told regents that the pilot fielded 315 applications systemwide, funded 47 projects (about 15 percent of submissions), produced roughly 32 invention disclosures and helped form 17 startups.

“The goal of this program is to accelerate the pathway from research discovery to end users,” Provost Newman told the board, describing the pilot’s mix of small seed awards, mentorship and networked technical assistance. Robin described a two‑stage review process — campus expert review followed by an independent advisory panel of investors and industry experts — intended to surface projects with commercial potential.

POC recipients gave examples of near‑term impact. Tyson Kim, a UCSF faculty member in ophthalmology and bioengineering, said POC support allowed his team to complete preclinical milestones, secure Institutional Review Board approval for an initial diagnostic study and attract more than $1 million in follow‑on funding for an imaging and targeted laser therapy for glaucoma. Ian Wen of UC Riverside described a low‑cost, lateral‑flow device to detect PFAS compounds that he said could dramatically lower per‑sample testing costs and enable wider environmental screening. Jeff Tully and Dr. Christian Demath of UC San Diego described 'Crash Cart,' a temporary digital platform to support hospitals hit by cyberattacks so clinicians can continue care during IT outages.

Board members repeatedly framed the pilot as a high‑value, low‑cost investment. Robin and campus presenters cited an estimated 22‑times follow‑on return on the initial POC capital, a figure regents raised as evidence to scale the program. Several regents asked about inviting corporate reviewers earlier in the review process and increasing entrepreneur‑in‑residence support to shorten the so‑called “valley of death” between research and market readiness.

In response, university leaders said they will explore deeper corporate engagement and broaden mentorship and investor networks as the pilot matures. President Milikin closed the session by saying an announcement would follow about continuing the POC funding and efforts to improve and expand the program.

The POC program was launched in October 2024 with seed funding from the president’s office and campus matches; regents said they will consider options to scale the effort systemwide.

Next steps: university leaders said details about the funding continuation and any proposed scale‑up will be announced soon and come back to the board for review as appropriate.