As it is at all University of California campuses, research is the cornerstone of UC Merced. Innovative faculty members conduct interdisciplinary, groundbreaking research that will solve complex problems affecting the San Joaquin Valley, California and the world. Students — as early as their first years — have opportunities to work right alongside them, sometimes even publishing in journals and presenting at conferences.
Top Articles
How Much Does Wildfire Reduce Forest Water Use and Increase Runoff?
Wildfire is reshaping the forests of California's Sierra Nevada and affecting the water those forests supply to downstream users. A paper published in Hydrology and Earth System Science reports that the effect of wildfire on potential runoff from the
UC Merced Scientists Use Sewage to Track Nicotine Use in Central Valley
Key points: Researchers successfully tested a technique that uses human sewage to measure the use of nicotine products such as cigarettes and vaping pens in a selected community. The project, led by scientists at UC Merced, can strengthen public
Research isn’t limited to labs with beakers and microscopes, though there are plenty of those here.
The list of UC Merced’s research strengths is long and includes climate change and ecology; solar and renewable energy; water quality and resources; artificial intelligence; cognitive science; stem-cell, diabetes and cancer research; air quality; big-data analysis; computer science; mechanical, environmental and materials engineering; political science; and much, much more.
The campus also has interdisciplinary research institutes with which faculty members affiliate themselves to conduct even more in-depth investigations into a variety of scientific topics.
11/05/2026
NIH Grant Funds Project to Revolutionize Care For Older Adults
Researchers from UC Merced and UC Davis are putting into practice work aimed at helping older adults maintain independence where they live while providing loved ones and caretakers with real-time updates on their health . A four-year, $1.1 million…
10/29/2026
Summit at UC Merced Takes Aim at Preserving Grasslands
California's grasslands are a vital part of a healthy ecosystem, supporting native plants and endangered animal species. Yet the vast majority of them - more than 90 percent - have been lost to development and invasive non-native plants. The…
10/27/2026
Teams Challenged to Make Travel Easier for Wheelchair Users
An automatic vehicle delivered by tractor-trailer to UC Merced recently will be the focus of a two-year effort to improve travel options for people with disabilities. The wheelchair-accessible, all-electric General Motors Cruise Origin is the focus…
10/22/2026
UC Merced Poised to Go Further, Chancellor Says in State of the University Address
How do you take a university further? For UC Merced’s chancellor, the answer starts with record-setting enrollment and extends to student opportunities, strong community connections, and new homes for students, academics and research, along with an…
10/22/2026
UC Merced Poised to Go Further, Chancellor Says in State of the University Address
How do you take a university further? For UC Merced’s chancellor, the answer starts with record-setting enrollment and extends to student opportunities, strong community connections, and new homes for students, academics and research, along with an…
10/21/2026
UC Merced Announces 2026 Hellman Fellows
Key points Three UC Merced professors have been named 2026 Hellman Fellows, representing the university’s School of Engineering, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, and School of Natural Sciences. The fellowships will advance innovative…
10/07/2026
$4.5 million NIH Grant Expands Interdisciplinary Biomedical Training at UC Merced
A five-year, $4.5 million T32 institutional training grant from the National Institutes of Health will establish a new doctoral training program at UC Merced for students pursuing careers in biomedical research. The Interdisciplinary Cellular and…
10/06/2026
UC Merced Sociologist Assembles Global Handbook on Climate Action
Climate change is a global crisis and the search for solutions is increasingly technological. A new, 700-page volume edited by a UC Merced sociologist demonstrates that moving people, institutions and communities to act may be just as consequential…
10/22/2026
Study Finds Cannabis Addiction in Pregnancy Linked to Higher Risk of Postpartum Psychiatric Crises
Key points Pregnant women with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had a 10 percent rate of postpartum psychiatric emergency visits, compared to 2.7 percent among those without the disorder. CUD during pregnancy was linked to a 40 percent higher risk of…
10/22/2026
UC Merced Poised to Go Further, Chancellor Says in State of the University Address
How do you take a university further? For UC Merced’s chancellor, the answer starts with record-setting enrollment and extends to student opportunities, strong community connections, and new homes for students, academics and research, along with an…
10/21/2026
UC Merced Announces 2026 Hellman Fellows
Key points Three UC Merced professors have been named 2026 Hellman Fellows, representing the university’s School of Engineering, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, and School of Natural Sciences. The fellowships will advance innovative…
09/28/2026
UC Merced Gets Down to Business at HSI Battle of the Brains
Seven hand-chosen, whip-smart UC Merced students descend on Austin, Texas, this week to pit their teamwork and business skills against representatives of other Hispanic-serving institutions in a high-pressure — and potentially highly rewarding —…