Applied Research

Identifying gaps in disaster planning and mitigation, informing best practices and elevating solutions from disaster prevention all the way to recovery.

Overview

UCDRN incubates innovative interdisciplinary reasearch to address the uniquely challenging, growing risks that compounding disasters and polycrises pose, while coordinating research funding, seed grants, and knowledge-sharing. To date, UCDRN has excelled at incubating and spinning off critical research and wildfire management and prediction science. We've enjoyed working with key partners inside and outside the University of California, including local tribal leadership in the Chumash valley of Santa Barbara, The Moore Foundation, valued partner UC Natural Reserve System and more to facilitate atmospheric modeling, strategic environmental monitoring, and experimental burning to assess and reduce risks and impacts of wildfire-related disasters prior to their occurrence, all told, we've leveraged over $2 million in critical research funding as of early 2025.

Looking Forward: UCDRN Research Armada

We are building an interlocking research powerhouse. UCDRN’s Research Armada will coordinate a fleet of leading UC-based research centers, which will elevate our world-class system to new heights in public service: AI-enabled earthquake and wildfire analytics, cyber and data integrity, pandemic/AMR readiness, One Health and climate-smart infrastructure, and community-driven implementation. Built with translation in mind — seed funds, rapid-response pools, proposal studios, and cross-sector partners (utilities, insurers, tech, agencies, communities) — the Armada will move ideas from campus to field efficiently and effectively, with community-driven designs.

FIAT LUX. UCDRN core leadership are in the process of turning the lights on, engaging key partners to raise our organization to new heights, as this elevated system-wide pillar promises an outsized return on investment in lives protected, systems stabilized, and resilience replicated regionally — with national and global implications. Founding members include:

The UCLA Adaptive Futures Hub will be a campuswide platform linking UCLA’s strengths in environmental science, engineering, public health, urban policy, and climate adaptation with the expertise of utilities, insurers, technology firms, and community partners to manage disaster risk across California and the Pacific Rim. Anchored in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and aligned with the APRU Multi-Hazards Program, the Hub will provide seed funding, support interdisciplinary proposals, and integrate UC-wide educational programs to translate research into practice. By uniting UCLA institutes, schools, and international networks with industry and civic partners, it will accelerate rapid-response research, train the next generation of resilience professionals, and deliver practical solutions to both acute hazards like earthquakes and hurricanes and chronic climate-driven risks such as extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and energy disruptions—positioning UCLA as a leader in developing scalable, inclusive, and adaptive strategies for disaster resilience.
The UC San Diego Pandemic & Infectious Disease Resilience Center, led by Dr. Robert “Chip” Schooley—renowned for pioneering bacteriophage therapy—anchors UCDRN’s biological resilience pillar by advancing phage-based therapeutics, combating antimicrobial resistance, and scaling rapid-response capabilities for emerging infectious threats. Building on IPATH’s groundbreaking clinical trials and joined by UCSD’s PREPARE and CHARM programs, the Center develops next-generation antivirals and strategies against drug-resistant pathogens while embedding public health resilience into state and national planning. As part of UCDRN’s Applied Research Armada, it strengthens cross-hazard modeling through shared data systems, integrates pandemic resilience into workforce training, and convenes global stakeholders to align research with practice positioning UC San Diego at the forefront of pandemic preparedness and infectious disease resilience.
David Oglesby
The UC Riverside AI-Enabled Earthquake Research and Policy Resilience Center will harness artificial intelligence to revolutionize earthquake science—from detecting small quakes and precursors to strengthening early warning, rupture modeling, and emergency response—while embedding results directly into building codes, policy, and resilience planning. Situated at the edge of the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults and supported by UCR’s RAISE Institute, the Center combines world-class seismology expertise with cutting-edge AI infrastructure and strong private, public, and educational partnerships, including Miyamoto International, CalOES, NASA, USGS, and Cal Poly. Through fellowships, rapid-response teams, and cross-sectoral collaborations, it will train the next generation of resilience leaders and integrate seamlessly into UCDRN’s research armada, ensuring that California’s communities, infrastructure, and lifelines are safer and more adaptive in the face of inevitable earthquakes and cascading disasters.
The UC Irvine Wildfire and Cascading Hazards Resilience Center will serve as UCDRN’s Southern California node, leveraging AI and Earth system science to predict, monitor, and respond to escalating wildfire risks and their cascading impacts such as flooding and debris flows. Building on frontier research including FIRE-Former, a transformer-based fire risk model, and the Fire Language Model integrating Earth observation, meteorology, and urban data UCI’s experts will fuse real-time sensing with advanced modeling to deliver actionable intelligence for emergency managers, utilities, and city planners. Located adjacent to high-risk fire corridors, UCI combines unique geographic advantage with leading expertise in wildfire science, AI, hydrology, and infrastructure resilience. Through seed-funded projects, stakeholder workshops, and collaborations with state and federal agencies, the Center will accelerate open-source tools, train the next generation of resilience professionals, and ensure science translates into scalable solutions that safeguard California’s communities, ecosystems, and lifelines against increasingly complex fire-driven disasters.
The UC Berkeley Resilience Initiative, led by Dr. Andrew Reddie at the Berkeley Risk & Security Lab, will anchor UCDRN’s cyber resilience efforts by harnessing wargaming, crisis simulation, and policy innovation to safeguard critical infrastructure against cyber, AI-enabled, and geopolitical threats. By modeling cascading disruptions—from cyberattacks and supply chain shocks to natural disasters—the initiative equips governments, industries, and communities with actionable strategies, confidence-building policies, and secure data systems to strengthen institutional readiness. Through workshops, cross-sector simulations, student training, and pilot deployments, it will integrate seamlessly with UCDRN nodes—protecting wildfire and earthquake monitoring networks, ensuring disaster database integrity, and advancing cyber-hardened modeling environments. Positioned at the nexus of technology, governance, and security, Berkeley’s center ensures that resilience infrastructure remains robust in a hyperconnected, risk-prone world.
The UCSB Center for Community-Driven Solutions to Promote Disaster Resilience, led by Dr. Erika Felix, will anchor UCDRN’s commitment to equity by centering community voice in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Housed in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, the Center combines a faculty–community advisory board structure with a flexible grant mechanism to fund both community-initiated and faculty-partnered projects, ensuring research directly addresses local needs. Through program evaluation, community-engaged science, and innovative communication strategies, it will improve post-disaster services, empower underserved populations, and create a replicable model for participatory resilience across the UC system. By training students, supporting citizen-led solutions, and integrating with other Armada nodes, UCSB will serve as a hub for advancing inclusive, evidence-based resilience practices that strengthen the Central Coast and California communities.
The UC Merced Fire Resilience Center takes a human-centered approach to ending wildfire disasters by investigating why some communities suffer devastating losses and struggle to recover, and by testing tailored, multi-benefit solutions that match specific needs. Positioned at the base of the Sierra Nevada and deeply connected with Central Valley and foothill partners, the Center conducts cross-disciplinary research on wildfire impacts, climate justice, and ecosystem resilience—pursuing projects from using agriculture as fire buffers to rethinking federal recovery programs and identifying natural refuge zones. Through community events, student engagement, and partnerships with CALFIRE, Greenbelt Alliance, and the Sierra Foothill Conservancy, the Center emphasizes actionable strategies and equitable resilience. By expanding research capacity, developing a wildfire resilience toolkit, and growing its education programs, UC Merced is uniquely positioned to catalyze innovative, community-driven solutions that work for all Californians.
The UC Davis UCDRN Innovation Hub, housed in the One Health Institute and led by Dr. Woutrina Smith, will anchor the systemwide network with expertise in planetary health, resilient infrastructure, and climate-resilient agriculture. Building on decades of leadership in emergency preparedness, veterinary and wildlife response (OWCN, CVET), and strong ties to California’s agricultural sector, the Hub will integrate One Health science with innovations in climate-ready energy, water, and food systems to safeguard communities during disasters. Through living laboratories, rapid-deployment resilience corps, and UC ANR’s statewide extension network, UC Davis will pilot scalable solutions, bridge science with community action, and ensure equity for rural, underserved, and tribal communities. As a Northern California anchor, UC Davis will complement wildfire, cyber, and community-driven resilience nodes across UCDRN, making it a central driver of planetary health and disaster preparedness for California and beyond.