Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Title of entry: UCLA Research Powers Progress

About this entry: In July 2025, UCLA was notified that federal research funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was being suspended. This decision threatened not only UCLA researchers and their work, but the millions of Americans whose health, safety and future depend on publicly funded research.

In response, UCLA Strategic Communications rapidly launched Research Powers Progress, a multi-channel marketing and communications initiative designed to raise awareness of the value of research funding and UCLA’s impact.

UCLA collaborated across teams to deploy a coordinated strategy centered on a dedicated microsite (ucla.edu/research). Paid media and boosted social content drove audiences to the site, where regularly refreshed stories and videos raised awareness for groundbreaking UCLA research. Internal communications encouraged Bruins to contribute stories and amplify campaign messaging, extending reach and credibility.

Working closely with researchers, the media and studio teams produced content across UCLA’s digital ecosystem, including ucla.edu, Newsroom, Magazine, social media, and in national and regional media outlets. These narratives humanized the impact of research funding by demonstrating what is lost when investment is withdrawn from public institutions.

The campaign generated 177,655 page views to the Research Powers Progress microsite (83% driven by a precision-targeted paid media plan), 12 million video views, 27 million social media impressions, 23K shares, 12,400 total media mentions and 50 successful pitches to leading media companies, demonstrating the power of rapid, integrated communications to influence awareness at a national moment.