2026-2027: Diversity and Community Fellows Application

Thank you for your interest in serving as a Graduate Diversity & Community (D&C) Fellow. The Office for Graduate Diversity (OGD) is seeking Diversity and Community Fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year. Fellows will be appointed for the period August 10, 2026 through May 21, 2027. Diversity and Community Fellows, individually and collectively, will support advancing and implementing the diversity and inclusion goals of OGD and the Graduate Division. Critical components of this fellowship will include but are not limited to, supporting an inclusive graduate community and enhancing the academic, and professional experience of graduate students to foster a culture of inclusion, belonging, and success. The D&C Fellows Program is directed by Assistant Dean for Graduate Diversity, Martha Chavez, and Fellows will collaborate with the Office for Graduate Diversity team and campus partners.

Eligibility

All UC Berkeley graduate and professional school students are welcome to apply. Fellows must be current or matriculating UCB graduate or professional school students enrolled full time for the entire academic year and available approximately 5 hours per week.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Friday, May 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm PST

Finalists will be contacted regarding next steps by late May/early June 2026.

Fellowship Placement

The Diversity and Community (D&C) Fellows will be involved in outreach and recruitment and mentoring prospective and current graduate students. In addition, all Fellows will be assigned a placement to support either OGD programs, initiatives, or campus partner offices. In this application, you will be asked to rank order your placement preferences. More information about the potential placements can be found on our Diversity & Community Fellows Application webpage.

Fellowship Stipend

Participating fellows will receive a $7,500 stipend per academic year which may be combined with any other awards, stipends and fellowships that students may be in receipt of, and doesn't limit eligibility to hold academic appointments. Fellows cannot be on Filing Fee status during the fellowship period and must reside in the Bay Area and be available to attend in-person activities during the fellowship period.

Contact Information

Last Name

Preferred First Name

SID

Current Address

Country

City

Region

Postal Code

Current Telephone Number

Berkeley Email Address

Alternate non-Berkeley Email

Pronouns (Optional)

Education

Current Department

If Other, please write your department name below.

What degree are you pursuing?

If Other, please write your degree name below.

Program

If Other, please write your program name below.

What year did you enter your current program?

Fellowship Interest and Placement

The Diversity and Community (D&C) Fellows will help advance and implement the diversity and inclusion goals of the Office for Graduate Diversity (OGD) and the Graduate Division. In addition to being involved in outreach and recruitment and mentoring prospective and current graduate students, all Fellows will be assigned a placement to support either OGD programs, initiatives, or campus partner offices.

The following question asks you to rank order your preferred placements for the fellowship. Please review the placement descriptions on the webpage to inform your placement rankings.

You are required to rank order up to a maximum of five (5) preferred placements for the fellowship. If you want to rank fewer than 4 placements, you can select N/A for the remaining options.

Your ranking should be as follows: Top choice = Rank #1 Program; Second choice = Rank #2 Program; Third choice = Rank #3 Program; Fourth choice = Rank #4 Program; and Fifth choice = Rank #5 Program.

Rank #1 Program

Rank #2 Program

Rank #3 Program

Rank #4 Program

Rank #5 Program

Application Materials

A strong application will weave your previous experiences (personal, academic, and professional) with your goals and the impact you want to make in your selected program placement.

Why are you interested in becoming a Diversity & Community Fellow? Limit: 300 words.

Please describe how your background aligns with your #1-ranked placement. Specifically, what skills, ideas, and experiences would you bring to this placement? Limit: 300 words.

How do you see the Diversity and Community Fellowship contributing to your own educational and career progression? Limit: 300 words.

If you ranked the New Leader Scholars Program as one of your top 5 preferred choices, please tell us about your commitment to social justice and any activities or roles you have held to advance social justice, improve your communities, or to uplift others. Limit: 300 words.

Share a Google Drive link to your CV/Resume. Please ensure your share settings are set to "UC Berkeley" or "Anyone with the link."

By checking this box, I confirm that I will be enrolled full-time for the entire academic year and in good academic standing.

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By checking this box, I hereby certify to the best of my knowledge that all information submitted is complete and correct. I understand that failure to disclose accurate information is grounds for dismissal from the program.

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You have my permission to give my name and contact info to other UC Berkeley departments or programs interested in having me participate in another fellowship or employment opportunity.

Yes

No