On Oct. 15, the UC Davis community came together to show support for federally funded research that saves and improves human and animal lives, advances scientific knowledge and creates jobs and economic impact.

The Office of Strategic Communications is encouraging members of the campus community to do so again Feb. 25, to highlight the ongoing impact of federally funded research as it continues to face threats and to celebrate the first anniversary of the From Labs to Lives campaign.

It’s easy to join in the campaign’s second “takeover” by changing your email signature or Zoom background, posting on social media or by updating your department website.

A toolkit developed by Strategic Communications includes Canva templates, social media photo frames, Zoom backgrounds, email signature designs and other resources to communicate support for UC Davis’ federally funded research. It is available in Box to those with a UC Davis login and includes easy ways to show your support of From Labs to Lives — and by extension, the stories on that site showing the impact of UC Davis’ federally funded research. Animated GIFs and social media post templates are also available in the toolkit. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #FromLabsToLives when sharing your support online.

The From Labs to Lives website now includes more than 50 videos, including new testimonials from “champions” — those who support or have benefitted from federally funded research at UC Davis.

Click here to submit someone for consideration to be featured as a champion in a future video. 

The From Labs to Lives website also includes a breakdown of how UC Davis research is funded, information on joining the “Stand Up For UC” advocacy campaign and a link to donate to research projects.

Through the end of last year, From Labs to Lives videos had been viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube, while campaign web pages had been visited more than 50,000 times. Social media posts gained about 2.5 million impressions while news stories related to the campaign reached audiences of more than 1 billion people.

The impact of research at UC Davis

Interdisciplinary UC Davis research alone builds the region’s economy, supporting $2 billion in California economic activity and nearly 10,000 jobs. It supports 1,290 active patents, spurred 119 startups in the last decade, and resulted in $15 million in annual licensing, royalties and fees. The university has a $13.2 billion impact on the state overall. 

UC Davis research contributes to solving global problems and keeping the United States as the world leader in technology and innovation. For example, this work is evident in the collaboration to study emerging health threats, how to feed a growing global population, and the discoveries made possible by UC Davis science and engineering research.

From Labs to Lives is created and produced by the Office of Strategic Communications, in collaboration with the Office of Research and Government and Community Relations.