Postdoctoral Program

The Cal-Bridge postdoctoral program offers 2-year fully-funded postdoctoral positions to graduates of the doctoral program hosted by a faculty member at either a UC or CSU campus. To give back to the Cal-Bridge community all Cal-Bridge postdoctoral fellows are required to devote ~15% of their time to the program as part of the peer and near-peer mentoring program. In addition, Cal-Bridge CSU postdoctoral fellows are given the opportunity to teach at least one course per year as lecturers/instructors of record in their CSU department, thus giving them the type and level of teaching experience needed to be competitive for CSU, community college, or faculty positions at other primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs).

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

Why should you apply?

A Cal-Bridge postdoctoral fellowship will help you prepare to become a competitive faculty candidate.
UC Cal-Bridge postdocs will conduct world-class research experience and by participating in the UC PPFP program will gain access to an additional community of peers.
CSU Cal-Bridge postdocs will be given the opportunity to teach as instructor of record at least once per year to gain experience to make them competitive faculty candidates for teaching-focused faculty jobs

Expectations

Cal-Bridge postdocs will devote the majority of time to basic research with CSU postdocs additionally teaching one course per year as instructor of record to gain teaching experience
All Cal-Bridge Postdocs are expected to devote a substantial portion (10-15%) of their time to supporting the broader impacts of the Cal-Bridge program (e.g., through participation in the Cal-Bridge mentorship program). As part of the application process, applicants will have to write a short statement of how they fulfill this requirement
All Cal-Bridge postdocs are expected to attend the Cal-Bridge Fall Conference, held at a UC campus each September or October. In addition, they are expected to attend the PPFP Annual Fall meeting. Funding is provided for attendance at both these events

Who should apply?

All graduates of the Cal-Bridge doctoral program (UC or non-UC) are eligible to apply to the Cal-Bridge postdoctoral program in the year they will complete their PhD. Applicants must complete their PhD before beginning their Cal-Bridge postdoctoral fellowships.

How to apply?

Applications are open in September of each year for positions starting the following summer/fall. Before applying, a candidate must identify a faculty member at the UC or CSU campus where they will hold their postdoctoral position who will act as their professional sponsor and mentor. Applications for both Cal-Bridge UC and Cal-Bridge CSU postdocs are processed through the portal for the UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP). Applications are due November 1 each year for positions beginning the following fall. Details on how to apply for the Cal-Bridge postdoctoral positions can be found here:

Application Instructions