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Research Committee
What We Do
​The Research Committee gathers resources on pressing health disparities both locally and globally to support our chapter’s members and inform public outreach. We examine ongoing biomedical research at UCSC to provide insight into the development and commercialization of drugs and medical technologies. We also advocate for licensing practices that prioritize affordability and accessibility of UCSC’s research outputs. Above all, we are committed to promoting equitable access to biomedical innovations and advancing transparency surrounding the university’s licensing processes.
Current Projects
The Affordable Access Plan
​We believe that drugs developed in university labs with public funds must be accessible to the people who need them, and that our universities have a responsibility to make this a reality.
In 2020, UCLA Technology Development Group (UCLA TDG) collaborated with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a United Nations-backed public health organization, to develop the Affordable Access Plan (AAP). Originally designed for the UC system, the document functions as a licensing template for early-stage medical technologies produced by a university. The provision seeks to achieve affordable access to essential university medical productions by permitting the development of generic medications or technology in a list of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) highlighted by the World Health Organization as well as communities in the United States that are vulnerable to health disparities. Currently, the majority of citizens present in these nations lack the economic status to afford essential medicines we develop. However, drug generics allow LMICs to set cost rates equal to their markets making medications more available to various income groups.
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Within 3 months of FDA approval of a licensed product, licensees will be provided with two options: sign the AAP or create a written explanation as to why the Affordable Access Plan is unnecessary or infeasible including how they plan to achieve affordable access in LMIC. Both options guarantee that consideration is made regarding the accessibility of the products.
The Affordable Access Plan has been passed and implemented at UCLA, UC Berkley, UCB Intellectual Property & Industry Research Alliances (IPIRA), Columbia Technology Ventures, and Innovative Genomics Institute, and National Institute of Health (NIH). Why not UCSC? Approving the AAP is crucial for expanding access to the medical technology created at UCSC!
Prior Affordable Access Plan Provisions
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​UC Davis Resolution to AAP
What to join Research Committee?
Committees typically meet once a week on zoom to work on related projects outside of general body meeting times. To ask about joining, direct message @ucsc_uaem on Instagram OR go to a general body meeting and ask for...
Conner Robinson (Committee Chair)
​Find our interest form in the "Contact" page or use this button to navigate there!
Meeting Information
TIME
TBD
PLACE
Zoom
(sent via Google Calender)
How Often
Weekly