Fellowship & Research Opportunities

Flacks Intern
The Flacks intern serves as a concrete bridge between the students, the administration, and the university community.  The Associated Students Leadership intern was named after Dr. Richard Flacks, a distinguished Professor in Sociology, because of his remarkable leadership to students and his highly regarded published research on student culture and activism. Through its substantive projects, duties and goals, students gain valuable leadership experience by working closely with A.S. Executive Director.

Pearman Fellowship
The Pearman Fellowship program helps introduce incoming new students to the ins-and-outs of A.S. The program includes a mentorship in an A.S. entity, as well as information sessions guided by students, staff, and elected officials. The mentorship program will begin later in the quarter, and prospective Fellows will be given an elected official mentor.  The Fellowship program is intended to establish a basis for incoming students so that they can spend their time thriving in all A.S. UCSB offices through the coming years. As a Pearman Fellow in an office, fellows have the opportunity to network with elected officials in A.S, as well as other individuals working to help improve UCSB. Some Fellows even get the chance to develop their own project within A.S.
 

Bren-ES Fellows Program
The Bren-ES Fellows Program is a partnership between UCSB's Environmental Studies Program and the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.  By identifying and mentoring UCSB students from under-represented groups, the Program seeks to nurture their potential as emerging leaders in the environmental field.

The Bren Environmental Leaders (BEL) Program
The BEL Program supports and advances the careers of graduate and undergraduate Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), individuals experiencing low-income, and first generation students, preparing them for leadership and success in the environmental field and the natural sciences. The program provides fellowship support, networking, and training opportunities for BEL Fellows, through connection with learning communities, career skills workshops, and paired internships.  For more information, contact Cori at lopazanski@bren.ucsb.edu
 

CAMP provides resources and opportunities to under-represented students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  The program is sponsored by the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation at the National Science Foundation, and is part of the statewide CAMP program.  CAMP has several programs that support undergraduates including Summer and Academic year Research Internships and CAMP Scholars support towards successful completion of a degree in STEM.
 

CEES is hosted by the Chicano Studies Institute and aims to help more Latinx students graduate with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree.
 

CSEP offers a number of undergraduate research opportunities for students in STEM fields:

EUREKA! Program
The EUREKA! program is designed to enrich the academic experience of undergraduates at UCSB in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) disciplines early on in their educational careers. The program is focused on introducing students in their first year to the broader science community on campus and providing exposure to research through academic year internships. Students who have participated in the Summer Institute in Mathematics and Science (SIMS) are especially encouraged to apply, though participation in this program is not a prerequisite for the internship. EUREKA is hosted by the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP) at the California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI). 

Beckman Scholars Program
Funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the Beckman Scholars Program seeks to foster the next generation of creative thinkers by stimulating, encouraging, and supporting research by outstanding undergraduates who have demonstrated the desire and potential for becoming future scientific leaders.  Scholars embark on a 15-month program designed to enrich their development as students and scientists through innovative research, mentoring, collaboration and practice in effective communication. The program offers students a unique opportunity to become immersed in the scientific community.

UCSB Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Career Pathways Program 
The mission of the SACNAS Scholars Program is to train the next generation of diverse STEM leaders. SACNAS Scholars will have the opportunity to engage in both hands-on research training in a UCSB STEM faculty lab during an 8-week intensive summer program, and academic year leadership development. Scholars also receive funding and support for professional development or training that will inform and prepare Scholars for post-graduation career opportunities or advanced academic pursuits.

Summer Institute in Mathematics and Science (SIMS)
The Summer Institute in Mathematics and Science (SIMS) is a 3-week academic preparation and research training program for incoming first-year students intending to enroll at UCSB directly from high school in the Fall 2023. SIMS includes academic skills development, early undergraduate research, mentoring, community building, career awareness, personal and professional development that prepare first-year students to be competitive for subsequent academic and training opportunities, leading toward advanced degree programs or directly into the workforce.

The Reserve provides paid internships to UCSB students wanting hands-on experience in restoration, conservation, and monitoring. Internships are for a quarter and can be renewed if funds are available.

The CCS summer fellowships play a vital role in facilitating experiential learning for undergraduate students at the College of Creative Studies. These fellowships offer UCSB CCS students from all eight majors the chance to engage in research, create original works of art, or develop entrepreneurial projects under the guidance of UC Santa Barbara faculty members. The selection of awardees is made by the program committee of each major.
 

The Faculty Research Assistant Program (FRAP) is a tool for faculty to bring undergraduates into the fold of faculty research. Students can visit Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) to learn how to get started and search the Directory to find research projects of interest to them.

Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, FUERTE is organized by faculty members and researchers in EEMB, and is meant to welcome students into the exciting world of conservation science, marine biology and the exciting ways research in the outdoors can open up new worlds and career options.  FUERTE supports fellows with paid research positions.
 

The Office of Education Partnerships currently offers a wide range of P-20 programs to first generation, low-income, and underrepresented students and their families. Though each program is unique, they share a common goal of increasing students’ access and success in higher education. Through collaboration with our local, state and national partners we are able to maximize our strengths and resources to increase the college going rates in our regional footprint.
 

The Promise Scholars program at UC Santa Barbara empowers high-achieving, first generation students from low-income households. The Promise Scholar program offers $120,000 in grants and scholarships to first year students over four years and $60,000 to transfer students over two years. 
 

The REEF at MSI trains qualified volunteer marine science guides. REEF guides are responsible for leading programs, which introduces K-12 visitors and community members to our local marine environment and the relative research UCSB conducts in an effort to improve science literacy. Guides also work with REEF Aquarists and are responsible for the care and maintenance of the REEF facility.
 

The RISE Fellowship is a competitively paid summer research fellowship for high-achieving undergraduates at UCSB from underrepresented backgrounds in the marine sciences to conduct social-ecological research under the mentorship of a graduate student.
 

The Samuelsen Conservation Scholars Initiative supports programs such as the NRS’s Field Science Fellowship. Available to UC undergraduates from backgrounds underrepresented in the environmental sciences, the fellowship funds a summer of independent field research at the living laboratories of the NRS. Undergraduates apply alongside a UC faculty mentor. Over the course of the summer, students master field techniques and practice critical thinking with feedback from their mentor. At reserves, they meet fellow researchers, exchange scientific knowledge over meals and hikes, and become part of the field science community.

The Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows support 21 graduate students and 11 undergraduate students at UC Santa Barbara conducting research directly targeted at solving problems that compromise the health of our environment.  Funded projects vary greatly, but they all are united by a common goal: designing tractable environmental solutions.
 

The Smithsonian Scholars Program, co-developed by a collaboration between the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, offers opportunities to diverse students to engage in experiential learning centered on multi-disciplinary conservation strategies, biodiversity research, and green careers in STEM.

Designed to engage and educate California's future leaders by preparing promising students for advanced education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). UC LEADS is designed to identify upper-division UCSB undergraduate students with the potential to succeed in these disciplines, but who have experienced situations or conditions that have adversely impacted their advancement in their field of study.  Once chosen as UC LEADS Scholars, the students embark upon a two-year program of scientific research and graduate school preparation guided by individual Faculty Mentors. Scholars are provided with an excellent opportunity to explore their discipline, experience a research environment, and improve their opportunities for future study in their chosen field. The Scholars gain valuable educational experience, the University develops a better prepared and more diverse graduate applicant pool, and ultimately, the state gets well-educated future leaders.
 

The UCSB Sustainability Internship Program offers a wide array of opportunities for current undergraduate and graduate students to participate in campus and community-based programs and initiatives.  We serve as a launching point for new internship projects, much like an incubator for start-up companies. All internship opportunities are paid.