About the Fellowship
Each year, the Center selects fellows from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds such as law, journalism, higher education, social science, technology and government.
The Center welcomes candidates from all backgrounds to apply, and invites a wide range of innovative projects. As part of the University of California, the Center is committed to promoting diversity and equal opportunity in its education, services and administration, as well as research and creative activity. We are focused on projects that address current issues affecting students, staff, administrators and faculty and will have a direct impact on individuals and communities across campuses. Work products can take many forms such as (but not limited to) qualitative/quantitative research, curricular modules, toolkits or training programs/pilots.
As a Center fellow, you will be welcomed into a community of practitioners, students, educators and scholars who share the common purpose of advancing the mission of the Center. Incoming fellows are connected with former fellows and become part of a larger UC-wide and national network of higher education stakeholders, advocates and policymakers.
The one-year fellowship will run from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
This year we are particularly interested in the following issues:
- How best to safeguard academic freedom in response to the national and global climate including legislative assaults and other threats to the creation and transmission of knowledge;
- Exploring the interaction between anti-discrimination laws and expression on campus;
- Navigating values-based polarization and political partisanship in higher education;
- The role of AI and/or social media in the future of free speech and civic engagement in higher education;
- Higher education’s role in supporting democracy and democratic learning;
- Strategies for engaging students, faculty, and staff in democratic governance and policy making at the institutional, local, and national level;
- The relationship between civic engagement and anti-authoritarianism;
- The intersection of climate and expression on campus, including the impact of national and international events;
- The role of civic engagement and service-learning work in restoring public trust in higher education.
We also welcome additional themes, topics and activities that fit within the Center’s mission.
This is not a residential fellowship. Selected fellowships will be awarded $20,000 to support their work, and up to $5,000 in research funds will be available as needed.
Fellows are expected to participate in monthly meetings (virtual) and a two-day colloquia at or near a UC campus or at the UC Center in Washington, D.C.. Travel and accommodations will be covered by the Center.
Involvement and interaction with the UC community is critical to the Center’s mission. Over the course of the program, fellows will be provided access to resources and connections throughout the 10-campus UC system as befits their research.
How to Apply
Fill out the form at Call for Fellows 2025-2026, including the following:
- A current curriculum vitae/resume, not to exceed two pages.
- A statement (not to exceed 1,250 words) describing your proposed project and how it will further the national conversation related to expression and democratic participation on college campuses. Please include the need for the project, objectives and potential impact on campus communities as well as a working title.
- Please address (not to exceed 500 words) how your academic and/or professional experiences qualify you to complete this project, including access to any tools/resources/populations required.
- Please describe (not to exceed 250 words) how this fellowship will enable you to complete your project.
- A timeline for project development/completion
Applications are due by Friday, March 21st, 2025 at midnight. If you have questions, please feel free to contact freespeechcenter@uci.edu.