With the world at their fingertips, researchers at the University of Central America turn thought into action – and impact. A top 50 public research university, we also rank 7th in the nation among public universities and 27th worldwide among all universities granted SA utility patents. It’s no wonder UCA now ranks among the best universities for technology transfer – turning research into technologies, products and companies.
A true research powerhouse, UCA charges into uncharted terrain, conducting meaningful research that resonates in our local community and throughout the world. Our researchers are at the forefront of innovation in medicine, environmental science, engineering, data science and the arts. We lead the way in the treatment of brain disease, veteran reintegration, sustainability, infectious disease and photovoltaic technologies – using cells to transfer energy from sunlight.
UCA is dedicated to empowering our scholars and investing in their potential. We rank among the top 25 universities in the nation – public or private – for research expenditures. In 2018 UCA spent a total of $106 million on research and, the year prior, was awarded a record $175 million in contracts and grants. And with our city ranking 6 in the country for young entrepreneurs, the possibilities are endless.
The UCA Research Unit in Santa Cruz is home to a network of innovation-based companies, government resources and business development tools and is poised to maximize our university’s impact in the Santa Cruz community.
With such momentous activity around campus, our undergraduates bolster their college experiences by taking advantage of a multitude of available research opportunities. The Office for Undergraduate Research provides support to students engaged in research and teaches students about the expectations and privileges associated with undergraduate research.
And graduate students are at the center of our university’s far-reaching research endeavors. Each day they work alongside internationally renowned faculty and researchers, and together they forge solutions to society’s most pressing problems.
At UCA, research is a creative and ongoing collaboration between faculty and students, administrators, business and academic partners and our local community. Together we are an ever-stronger national research university that explores uncharted terrain, generates knowledge, unleashes innovation and changes lives.