Graduate Student Support

Grad student support

 CSHE supports UC graduate students conducting research and building professional careers in higher education through two distinct opportunities:

  1. Gardner Fellowship (UC Berkeley students only)

  2. UC Higher Education Community Series (open to all UC doctoral students)

Gardner Fellowship

CSHE offers two flavors of Garner fellowships - one to support doctoral students’ research expenses and another to support Goldman School Public Policy Master’s students’ Capstone projects. The awardees of both types are called CSHE Gardner Fellows. 

1. Gardner Fellowship for Doctoral Students

This fellowship supports UC Berkeley doctoral students conducting research related to higher education. Fellows come from a wide range of academic disciplines and contribute to a deeper understanding of higher education through original research.

Award

The fellowship provides up to $5,000 in funding to support student research projects.Funds may be used for specific research needs, including but are not limited to: 

  • Acquiring data

  • Purchasing services (e.g., transcription, survey fees)

  • Participant compensation

  • Travel required for completion of research (e.g., to conduct participant interviews)

Note: Funds may not be used for salary, tuition, or fees.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be enrolled and in good standing in a PhD program at UC Berkeley

Be in residence (remote work permitted) and not on leave during the fellowship period

2. Gardner Fellowship for Capstone Projects

    We invite applications from MPP, MPA, and MDP students whose innovative projects advance the Center’s mission of illuminating higher education through impactful research and policy insights.

Award

Award amounts will be determined based on individual project needs, with a strong commitment to ensuring that Fellows are fully funded to execute their Capstone projects effectively.

Eligibility

GSPP MPP, MPA, and MDP students planning to complete their Capstone Project on higher education are encouraged to apply. Eligibility is limited to those who have already identified their clients and capstone topics. Due to limited funding, students whose capstones are already fully funded (at a level of $9,000 or above) are not eligible. 

UC Higher Education Community Series 

The UC higher education series is a community-building series exclusively for UC doctoral students interestedin higher education research, policy, and practice. It evolved from the previous Gardner Seminar series at CSHE. Participation is free.

This small, discussion-based group will meet once a month for interactive sessions on topics related to higher education research, professional development, and emerging issues in the field. Each session will be designed to foster dialogue, peer exchange, and connection across UC campuses

We welcome a multidisciplinary community of higher education researchers. Doctoral students from education, sociology, political science, public policy, economics, statistics, and related disciplines across the UC system are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to students who have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy

For more information about applications, please visit our Training page.