Evaluation and selection

Review these criteria while preparing your application.

General criteria

The University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is dedicated to ensuring that outstanding degree recipients have an opportunity to work with UC tenured faculty, to prepare for careers of distinction. The program is open to all scholars holding terminal degrees in their discipline. Applicants will be considered who:

Are engaged in new fields of research; or
engage in innovative approaches to research in existing fields; or
have developed scholarly perspectives or work on research topics that differ from those currently available in the University of California campus department where they would be placed to pursue this opportunity; or
whose life experiences and educational background would help to broaden the perspectives represented in the faculty of the University of California.

Applicants are evaluated by faculty reviewers in their own and related fields. Faculty reviewers will evaluate candidates according to their academic accomplishments, the strength of their research proposal, and their potential for impactful faculty careers. Faculty reviewers also consider the mentor’s potential to work productively with the candidate and the mentor’s commitment to preparing and advancing the applicant’s academic career. In evaluating the candidate's potential to contribute to the research excellence and public service mission of the UC, faculty review committees may consider the following criteria.

Applicants whose potential to contribute to the University of California mission of research excellence and public service is informed or motivated by their individual experiences.

Applicants with a record of significant experience performing public service within the United States.

Applicants are encouraged to address these points in their Education Background Statement.

Research

Applicants with a record of outstanding research accomplishments as evidenced by their scholarly works or artistic expression, particularly in developing new areas of inquiry or application of novel approaches to existing fields.

Applicants are encouraged to address their scholarly accomplishments in their Research Statement.

Other factors that may be considered

Faculty review committees may give less consideration to applicants who:

currently hold tenure-track faculty appointments or have received faculty offers,
have had significant postdoctoral experience typical of competitive candidates for tenure track appointments in their field
will be unable to complete their tenure on fellowship due to the 5-year limit on postdoctoral study at the University of California, or
propose to work in the department where they received their PhD or currently hold postdoctoral appointments with their proposed mentor.

Applicants in any of the four situations above should address their circumstances in their application.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold or receive a PhD or terminal degree in their discipline (JD, MD, MFA, DVM, EdD, etc.) from an accredited university before the start of their fellowship.

Successful applicants must present documents demonstrating that they are legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship and work authorization is possible for successful applicants through a process which would be managed by the International Students and Scholars Office with the support of the UC faculty mentor on their home campus. Individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are encouraged to apply.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.