Becoming a Sponsor

As an industry-supported research institute, UC Solar is modeled after a number of successful collaborative research institutes at the University of California and most major research universities. UC Solar Industry Consortium Members (or “Sponsors”):

• Collaborate with some of the University of California’s finest scientific minds and the solar industry’s most progressive companies.
• Participate in leading-edge research and development projects and receive advance knowledge of scientific breakthroughs and new inventions.
• Work with the students and postdoctoral researchers who will be tomorrow’s solar energy leaders.
• Influence the solar energy research and education agenda at the world’s leading research university.

UC Solar has a talented group of researchers, and this group will expand over time as UC Solar grows. That growth will be driven, in part, by dedicated industry Sponsors who support the initiative through their annual dues, benefit from its research, inventions and knowledge creation, and encourage its scientists and educators.

Sponsor Eligibility and Benefits

All corporations with demonstrated development expertise in UC Solar research areas, and with legal standing in the U.S., are eligible to become UC Solar Sponsors. UC Solar Sponsors receive numerous benefits, including:

• The opportunity to influence the research topics of UC Solar through representation on the UC Solar Industry Advisory Board (IAB).
• Advance access to UC Solar reports and draft publications for gaining early knowledge of new developments prior to their wide dissemination.
• Prompt notification of UC Solar inventions available for licensing.
• The opportunity to attend one or more research review meetings scheduled during each Membership Year. These meetings are held at one of the participating campuses to review, assess, critique, and advise on recent, not yet published or publishable, research results.
• Enhanced interactions with UC Solar faculty through participation in UC Solar symposia, research updates, face-to-face meetings, conference calls and other scheduled activities.
• The opportunity to partner with UC Solar-affiliated researchers on proposals to third-party agencies that support university-industry partnerships, and UC Solar administrative support in the areas of proposal preparation, submission, and post-award administration.
• The opportunity to sponsor and fund separate projects with UC Solar-affiliated researchers.
• Recognition as a valued industry partner.

Annual Sponsor Dues

UC Solar utilizes a tiered sponsorship model based on corporate revenues, with all Sponsors receiving the same set of benefits. Although Sponsors may make tax deductible contributions above and beyond the minimum dues, minimum UC Solar Sponsor dues are as follows: 

A UC Solar Sponsor Year extends from July 1 to June 30. Sponsors joining at any time during a Sponsor Year may pay prorated Sponsor dues for the first partial year of membership. All UC Solar Sponsors are required to sign a UC Solar Participation Agreement.

Contact Us

To review a copy of the full UC Solar Participation Agreement, or obtain more information about UC Solar, its mission, and its participating researchers, contact UC Solar Director of Development Ron Durbin at rdurbin@ucmerced.edu or (209) 228-4565.