If UC Davis is to continue to be a leader in STEM research and education over the coming decades, it is critical that we maintain a physical infrastructure that is commensurate with this role. A key element in this effort will be the construction of the Chemistry Discovery Complex, the largest capital project that the university has undertaken. We anticipate that the complex will require seven years to complete and cost over $400 million.

The need for the new complex is clear: chemistry is a core foundational discipline not only for chemical engineering and biochemistry, but also for many critical areas of STEM research, including the life sciences, health sciences, agriculture, and environmental sciences. At present, the campus faces two challenges with respect to supporting research in chemistry and its associated disciplines. First, our faculty in chemistry and chemical engineering are housed in buildings constructed five decades ago—facilities that are now insufficient to support these critical research areas without significant renovation and new investment. Second, the campus is in critical need of space specifically designed to support the interdisciplinary research needs of the twenty-first century.

The charge of this task force is to provide an academic and intellectual vision for the development of the Chemistry Discovery Complex.