The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) was formed in 2001, when researchers within the UC system realized that the real opportunities lay not just in developing new and innovative technologies, but in applying them.

CITRIS was established to address the most pressing social and environmental issues facing California and focuses research on four core initiatives:

• CITRIS Sustainable Infrastructures Initiative
• CITRIS Connected Communities Initiative
• CITRIS People and Robots Initiative
• CITRIS Health Initiative