Doctoral Program

The Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program extends the support of the undergraduate program for scholars providing continued financial support, mentoring, and professional development programming through their doctoral program. The Cal-Bridge doctoral program provides financial support in the form of a fellowship that provides resources to help scholars focus on mastery of their field’s canon and embark earlier in their graduate career upon doctoral-level research projects as well as professional development focused both on the development of effective pedagogical skills as well as research skills. Together, these support structures help prepare doctoral scholars to successfully join the California STEM professoriate or to take leadership positions in California’s science and technologies industries.

UC Cal-Bridge Doctoral Scholars

Our Pathway to Success

There are multiple pathways for our scholars through the systems of the CA Community Colleges, CSUs, & UCs into the Cal-Bridge program. Cal-Bridge provides comprehensive end-to-end support from the undergraduate to professoriate.

Who Should Apply & Why

Who should apply?

The Cal-Bridge doctoral program is open to Cal-Bridge undergraduate scholars majoring in physics, astronomy, computer science/computer engineering, and mathematics/statistics who matriculate to a PhD program, as well as UC LEADS undergraduates in those same majors who matriculate to a UC PhD program. All UC Cal-Bridge doctoral scholars receive financial support, mentoring, community, and professional development programming. Non-UC doctoral scholars are eligible for the professional development programming and community building events as funding allows.

Why should you apply?

The Cal-Bridge doctoral program extends financial support, mentoring, and professional development programming to Cal-Bridge undergraduate and UC LEADS scholars enrolled in UC PhD programs as well as opening the professional development aspects of the program to Cal-Bridge scholars enrolled in non-UC PhD programs nationwide.

Cal-Bridge currently offers a $40,000 Cal-Bridge Fellowship to each Cal-Bridge and UC LEADS undergraduate scholar who matriculates into a UC PhD program, allowing them to focus on mastery of their field’s canon and embark earlier in their graduate career upon doctoral-level research projects. These fellowships also make the scholars more attractive to UC PhD admissions committees.

Professional development workshops are offered focused both on the development of effective pedagogical skills as well as research skills. These workshops follow a four-year arc through the scholars’ tenure as doctoral students, and, perhaps as importantly, provide opportunities for the community of scholars to remain in close contact with one another, furthering the peer-to-peer community and its development opportunities, which is known to be an essential factor in support of students from non-traditional groups.

How to apply?

Cal-Bridge and UC LEADS scholars who matriculate to a UC PhD program are automatically eligible for the doctoral program. Once a scholar accepts entry into a UC PhD program, they must indicate their interest in participating in the doctoral program by contacting us.

Expectations

Cal-Bridge UC doctoral scholars are expected to fully commit to all elements of the program including the 4-year Doctoral Professional Development Program (DP2) consisting of:

  1. Four week-long in-person Summer Institutes that take place at a UC campus in late July each year. The cost of travel, housing, food, and activities for each Summer Institute is covered by the program.
  2. A series of on-line meetings during the academic year as part of an ongoing learning community.
  3. Mentored classroom teaching or other hands-on experiences.

In addition, Cal-Bridge UC doctoral scholars expected to attend the Cal-Bridge Fall Conference each, at the program’s expense.

Non-UC doctoral scholars are given the opportunity to participate in the professional development aspects of the program, depending on funding.

Acceptance into the doctoral program is contingent on scholars signing a Cal-Bridge doctoral contract outlining these obligations in detail.

FAQs

All Cal-Bridge undergraduate scholars who matriculate to any PhD program are eligible for the Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program, along with UC LEADS undergraduate scholars majoring in Cal-Bridge disciplines who matriculate to a UC PhD program. The financial benefits of the program are available only to scholars who matriculate to a UC PhD program and other benefits are available to all Cal-Bridge doctoral scholars.

Cal-Bridge currently offers a $40,000 Cal-Bridge Fellowship to each undergraduate scholar who matriculates into a UC PhD program, allowing them to focus on mastery of their field’s canon and embark earlier in their graduate career upon doctoral-level research projects. Acceptance of the Cal-Bridge Fellowship has certain requirements attached.

The PhD program accepting the Cal-Bridge scholar will determine the use of the funds in a manner designed to benefit the scholar’s PhD studies. Departments are required to have their proposed use of funds approved by the Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program following guidelines created by the program.

The funds from the Cal-Bridge Fellowship can be used at any time during the scholar’s time in their PhD program.

There are a few requirements of acceptance of the Cal-Bridge Fellowship:

The Cal-Bridge Doctoral Professional Development Program (DP2) consists of a four-year cycle of professional development workshops and related activities, which starts on odd years (2023, 2025, 2027, etc.). Doctoral scholars start the program in the summer after their 1st or 2nd year in the PhD program. The workshops follow a four-year arc through the scholars’ tenure as doctoral students, focused both on the development of effective pedagogical and communication skills as well as research skills. 

In addition, as importantly, the DP2 provides opportunities for the community of scholars to remain in close contact with one another, furthering the peer-to-peer community and its development opportunities, which is known to be an essential factor in support of students from non-traditional groups.

The DP2 has three major components:

  • Four week-long in-person Summer Institutes that take place at a UC campus in late July each year. The cost of travel, housing, food, and activities for each Summer Institute is covered by the program.
  • A series of on-line meetings during the academic year as part of an ongoing learning community.
  • Mentored classroom teaching or other hands-on experiences.

Participation is required in all elements of the program, though specific accommodations can be made in some cases based on the interests of the participants. 

In addition to covering the financial costs of participating in the program, Cal-Bridge will provide each scholar stipends of $1000 after the Summer Institute and $1000 in the following academic year. These stipends are dependent on the scholar’s continued involvement and full participation in the program, and are compensation for the time spent in this professional development work.

The professional development workshops are open to all Cal-Bridge doctoral scholars. Participation of all UC doctoral scholars is required as part of the acceptance of the Cal-Bridge Fellowship. Participation is open to non-UC doctoral scholars but may be limited by available funding.

There are a few additional benefits to participating in the Cal-Bridge Doctoral program:

  • The Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program is a support community of like-minded scholars with similar professional goals that a scholar can draw on for advice, support, and professional advancement
  • The Cal-Bridge Alumni Council holds events at each Summer Institute and Fall Conference to which all doctoral scholars in attendance are invited
  • The Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program is developing a mentorship program to supplement the main mentorship of the scholar’s PhD advisor and other faculty in their department. In addition to any formal mentorship offered by the Cal-Bridge program, doctoral scholars can also reach out to program leadership for support

Doctoral Program Overview

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