About the University
UCLA – A Leading Research Enterprise
UCLA stands among the nation’s leading public research universities, distinguished by the scale of its academic enterprise, the strength of its research ecosystem, its public mission and its deep connection to Los Angeles. Renowned faculty, exceptional students, a major health system, strong civic and cultural partnerships and a globally recognized brand position UCLA to lead across disciplines and sectors. Its uniquely integrated campus brings together world-class programs in medicine, engineering, business, the arts, humanities and sciences, creating exceptional opportunities for collaboration and breakthrough discovery.
Located at the crossroads of technology, healthcare, entertainment, media, aerospace, entrepreneurship and global commerce, UCLA benefits from one of the world’s most dynamic innovation economies. Los Angeles provides access to a thriving startup ecosystem, significant venture capital activity and remarkable cultural diversity. As both an academic institution and a complex operating enterprise, UCLA’s continued success depends on effectively aligning mission, resources, infrastructure, risk management and service delivery around shared strategic priorities.
The university is navigating a period of significant opportunity and complexity, marked by financial pressures, an uncertain federal funding landscape, expanding operational demands, substantial capital needs, and growing expectations for transparency and data-driven decision-making. UCLA operates at tremendous scale, with an approximate $13.7 billion annual budget, including roughly $8.4 billion associated with UCLA Health and $5.3 billion in campus operations. The University also benefits from substantial endowment resources, including approximately $5.56 billion held by the UC Regents and $4.72 billion held by the UCLA Foundation, creating a powerful platform for advancing institutional impact and long-term sustainability.
UCLA’s Research and Innovation Ecosystem
Since 2017, UCLA has secured more than $1 billion annually in extramural support, including research funding from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, NASA, DARPA and the National Endowment for the Humanities, alongside significant support from state, corporate and philanthropic partners. As research universities confront increasing pressure on traditional funding models, UCLA is building on its best-in-class biomedical, clinical and health sciences research while accelerating investments in innovation, entrepreneurship, industry partnerships, venture creation and translational research.
A centerpiece of this strategy is the recently acquired UCLA Research Park, a 700,000-square-foot innovation district located two miles from campus. Envisioned as a hub for researchers, startups, industry partners and investors, the park is anchored by the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering. It represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demonstrate how a leading public university can accelerate discovery, deepen industry collaboration, and translate research excellence into societal and economic impact at scale.
UCLA’s Research Portfolio
UCLA research initiatives have generated some of the most transformative breakthroughs in modern times. From revolutionizing medical diagnostics and treatment to laying the framework to create the Internet or reshaping understanding of the human condition, UCLA’s research impact extends around the globe.
UCLA has the intellectual capital and extensive research facilities necessary to tackle society’s most challenging issues. As a public research university, UCLA remains committed to developing solutions that improve the quality of life in the wider Los Angeles community, the United States and around the world. Included among UCLA’s faculty, alumni, and researchers are 16 Nobel Prize winners, 18 faculty MacArthur Fellows, a Fields medalist, two Turing Award winners and three Pulitzer Prize winners.
Key Facts
- New Research Funding (FY 25) – $1.52 billion
- Research Expenditures FY 25) – $1.52 billion
- Requested New Research Funding (FY 25) – $5.90 billion
- New Inventions Disclosed (FY 25) – 374
Total Research Expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025
Learn more about UCLA’s Research and Creative Activities.
The Leadership Opportunity
UCLA seeks an innovative, entrepreneurial and enterprise-minded leader to serve as its next Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Creative Activities (VCR). This newly expanded role offers the opportunity to both shape the future of UCLA’s research enterprise and to model what a thriving, next-generation public research university can become. The VCR will build on the university’s extraordinary strengths in scholarship and sponsored research while advancing an entrepreneurial and externally connected model for discovery, technology transfer and commercialization, long-term value creation and public engagement.
Reporting to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, the VCR will also work closely with and serve as a strategic partner to the Chancellor and the Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences. This enterprise leadership role has been intentionally broadened to provide strategic direction for UCLA’s research portfolio while accelerating commercialization and innovation activity, strengthening industry collaboration and fostering interdisciplinary partnerships through creative, thoughtful leadership across UCLA’s academic, research, healthcare and public service missions.
The VCR will help position UCLA as a true leader in innovation by expanding technology transfer, advancing industry partnerships, activating the UCLA Research Park and creating new pathways to move ideas from discovery to application. The VCR will champion the full breadth of UCLA’s scholarly and creative contributions, elevating the arts, media, film, design, humanities and other creative disciplines as essential drivers of the university’s influence and engagement in the world alongside UCLA’s notable strengths in the sciences, engineering and biomedical research. In parallel, as UCLA’s chief research officer, the VCR will oversee one of the world’s premier research enterprises. Through the office’s four subdivisions — Office of Research Administration, Research Policy and Compliance, UCLA Technology Development Group, and Research Enhancement Office — the VCR will ensure excellence in research administration, sponsored programs, compliance, faculty support and research development across all of the disciplines and areas that comprise UCLA’s research ecosystem.
Opportunities and Expectations for the Next VCR
- Serve as a credible leader for a world-class research enterprise, advancing UCLA’s excellence in discovery, innovation, entrepreneurship and public impact across a complex academic and health sciences ecosystem.
- Further incorporate innovation, entrepreneurship and translation into UCLA’s research growth strategy, increasing the impact and value of UCLA’s enterprise, converting its distinctive research, innovation, partnership and Los Angeles-based opportunities into sustainable financial and strategic value, with gains reinvested in future discoveries, institutional priorities and public-impact innovations.
- Drive operational excellence across all units within the Office of Research, strengthening service, accountability, compliance, decision support and performance across key research functions.
- Build, lead and empower a high-performing senior team, enabling the role to maintain strategic altitude while ensuring disciplined execution.
- Partner across UCLA to align strategy, resources and investments, ensuring research priorities, infrastructure, and operational decisions support the university’s academic, clinical and public-service missions.
- Represent UCLA and coordinate across the broader ecosystem, engaging credibly with the University of California Office of the President, the Board of Regents and government, industry, civic and other external partners in support of institutional priorities.
Candidate Profile
UCLA seeks an engaging, credible and visible leader who will elevate the research ambitions of the institution, earning faculty trust while engaging industry partners, investors, entrepreneurs and innovators. Building on UCLA’s world-class research enterprise and a rare convergence of opportunities, including the Research Park, expanded industry engagement and a strengthened technology development platform, the next vice chancellor will help further establish UCLA as a national leader in translating discovery, creative activity and scholarship into partnerships, ventures and solutions that advance societal impact and long-term institutional resilience.
Ideal Experiences and Capabilities
- Senior executive leadership experience in a highly complex organization of significant scope and scale, with a record of building and leading high-performing teams across broad portfolios.
- A sophisticated understanding of the research process and faculty and researcher needs in an academically rigorous culture rooted in excellence and impact.
- Demonstrated success advancing innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization, with experience translating research, intellectual property or ideas into partnerships, ventures, products, technologies or other forms of impact.
- Intellectual stature and curiosity, with the ability to define a compelling vision for the future of research at a leading university and translate it into a pragmatic strategy.
- Knowledge of federal, foundation and grant funding programs and processes, along with experience in research development, technology transfer and commercialization.
- Deep understanding of corporate partnerships, enterprise and venture creation, with prior experience navigating the interface between research-driven institutions and the private sector.
- Presence, credibility and discretion to advise the Chancellor; partner with the Provost and health enterprise leaders; and engage effectively with UCOP, Regents, faculty, staff and external stakeholders.
Leadership Attributes
- Strategic clarity and disciplined judgment: Brings candor, analytical rigor and sound judgment to complex, high-stakes decisions where financial, operational, political and mission considerations intersect.
- Enterprise orientation: Sees across functions, missions and stakeholder groups and makes decisions in UCLA’s long-term institutional interest, rather than from a single unit or portfolio perspective.
- Entrepreneurial change leadership: Leads significant organizational change with confidence, restraint and transparency, creating momentum without unnecessary friction or volatility.
- Trusted influence in shared governance: Combines authority, listening and humility to build alignment with faculty, academic leaders, health enterprise leaders and administrative partners in a highly consultative environment.
- Mission-aligned entrepreneurial mindset: Identifies opportunity in complexity and helps convert UCLA’s distinctive assets into sustainable value, while remaining anchored in the university’s academic, research, healthcare and public mission.
- Service orientation and accountability: Raises expectations for responsiveness, ownership, follow-through and performance while maintaining credibility and trust across the institution.
Compensation
The anticipated annual base salary range is $525,000–$575,000, commensurate with experience, qualifications, internal equity and applicable University of California approvals and policy.
Search Process / How to Apply or Nominate
UCLA has retained Spencer Stuart to support this search. Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest should be submitted to the Spencer Stuart search team at UCLAVCR@SpencerStuart.com. Applications should include a resume and a letter of interest that addresses the candidate’s qualifications, leadership experience and interest in the role. The search will be conducted with full confidentiality, and materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
UCLA offers an inspiring higher education environment and excellent benefits. Learn more about the University of California and UCLA.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.