Money
Applications for the prestigious Schmidt Science Fellows program are now open! Recipients of this postdoctoral fellowship receive a stipend of $100,000 a year for two years. UCSB students who wish to be nominated should submit their materials April 8th. Read on for more information!
Overview
The Schmidt Science Fellows program is a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship for top-tier individuals who have received or expect to receive a PhD in natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computing, and who are interested in broadening their horizons, pivoting away from their PhD research area and pursuing a challenging and rewarding period of study in an alternative discipline with world-leading scientists. Fellows are supported to develop the skills and perspectives needed to accelerate discovery, advance solutions to the world's most pressing problems, and to become future leaders in science and society. Fellows are supported to pursue a postdoctoral placement at a world-leading laboratory anywhere in the world in a disciplinary pivot from their PhD.
Applications will be evaluated for academic achievement, scientific curiosity, alignment with the program, collaborative spirit, global ambition for social good, and character and leadership.
Schmidt Science Fellows is an initiative of Schmidt Futures, delivered in partnership with the Rhodes Trust, that believes in a vision of a world where interdisciplinary science flourishes without limit, accelerating discoveries to benefit the world, and driving innovation that improves quality of life for all.
Eligibility
Nominees must meet the following requirements:
- Have conducted their graduate degree in the natural sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Sciences), Engineering, Mathematics, or Computing - and all sub-disciplines therein.
- Have completed, or expect to complete, all of the requirements for the conferral of their PhD in one of these fields between 1 June 2022 and 30 July 2023.
- Be available for the entire period of the 2023 program, from July 2023 to September 2024 including attendance of the Global Meeting Series (whether virtual or in person, as conditions allow, and including additional virtual programming).
Award Amount
Fellows receive a stipend of $100,000 a year for two years.
Application Process and Deadline
UCSB students who wish to be nominated should submit the following materials as one PDF to Competition Space by April 8th:
- Letter of Nomination: this letter from your faculty advisor that addresses your demonstrated skills as a researcher (including specific contributions to research in the lab), how well you fit the selection criteria, and your potential as a future scientific leader (2 pages max). This letter may be emailed separately to pillsbury@research.ucsb.edu.
- Statement: a 2-page statement addressing the following:
- Description of your PhD research;
- Your desire to engage in a new field, and how you see this factoring into future plans;
- Why this program is a good fit, as it relates to the selection criteria outlined here.
- C.V. : Current CV that includes relevant publications
Your letter (if being included), statement and CV should be submitted as one (1) PDF document.
Please contact Janice Taylor (janice.taylor@ucsb.edu) with any questions.