Purpose
This competitive fellowship is designed to facilitate the academic career development of students who show potential to become excellent faculty or researchers in institutions of higher education as well as to foster multi-faceted diversity in graduate education at the University of California.
Each recipient will be expected to work closely with a faculty sponsor whose role will be to mentor the graduate student through the development of a curricular plan and the selection of an appropriate dissertation topic leading to the completion of a doctoral degree. Faculty guidance, counseling, and orientation are encouraged at the departmental level for first-year students.
Eligibility
- First-year PhD students – fellowship offered during the annual admissions cycle
- U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or AB 540
- Students must be enrolled in one of the following programs: Global Health Sciences, History of Health Sciences, Medical Anthropology, Nursing, Sociology
and meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Experience of situations or conditions that impeded advancing to graduate study, such as the absence of a family member who attended college; matriculation at a school with poor financial or curricular support; having a disability; having worked long hours while attending school; or
- Academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect educationally disadvantaged segments of society; or
- Evidence of an intention to use the doctoral degree toward serving educationally under-represented segments of society.
Programs are encouraged to nominate underrepresented minorities, students with physical challenges, and individuals from cultural, linguistic, geographic and socio-economic backgrounds who are underrepresented in graduate student and faculty populations. NOTE: In addition to the regular information required for a nomination, a statement of purpose, or goal statement and personal history statement is also required in the nomination package.
Support
- One new award in 2024-25
- Contingent on funding from UCOP and sufficient academic progress, awards will be automatically renewed for a second year of support
- $33,000 stipend divided equally over a twelve month period, September-August for the 2024-25 academic year
- University resident tuition and fees
History
Dr. Eugene Cota-Robles (pictured above) was nationally prominent as a microbiologist, as a leader in higher education, and for his efforts on behalf of minority students and faculty. Cota-Robles came to UC Santa Cruz in 1973 as vice chancellor of academic administration, director of affirmative action, and professor of biology. He had been chair of the Department of Microbiology at Pennsylvania State University, and had previously taught at UC Riverside and served in its administration. In recognition of his contributions toward advancing minority achievement at the University of California, the UC Regents named the Eugene H. Cota-Robles Fellowships for graduate students in his honor.
Awardees
2024-2025
Asmara Gebre – Nursing PhD
2023-2024
Evelyn Bigini – Nursing PhD
Renisha Campbell – Nursing PhD
Diana Ponce – Sociology
Learn more about how this and other internal fellowships are awarded.
