Incoming graduate students at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) can now qualify for the Racial Justice Fellowship program, which was established in response to the ongoing police violence and systemic racism protests across the country.
By offering financial assistance, the initiative aims to recruit students dedicated to racial justice through research, teaching and mentorship.
“Students in a variety of disciplines are engaged in research that explores the historical roots or contemporary experiences of racism,” said Dr. Leila Rupp, interim Anne and Michael Towbes Graduate Dean at UCSB, in a statement. “[That includes] the educational, environmental, health or economic disparities impacting Black, Indigenous and communities of color [as well as] cultural, social and political antiracist resistance and other ways in which systemic racism and responses to it have shaped and continue to shape human societies.”
To qualify for the program, incoming graduate students across disciplines are nominated by their department. For the next three years, four fellowships will be awarded annually.
“From an admissions and outreach perspective, we hope the Racial Justice Fellowship program highlights our commitment towards equity in graduate studies and our support for incoming scholars from diverse backgrounds,” said Walter Boggan, graduate director of admissions, outreach, and diversity at UCSB.
This fall, over 40% of students entering their doctoral, masters and credential programs through the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education represent African American, Native American and Latinx communities, according to UCSB.
In addition to a fully-funded five-year package, the fellowships will provide students with $8,000 to cover summer costs. Deans have allocated a percentage of their department funding to go toward the fellowship and the Graduate Division will cover the remaining cost. Rupp said additional fundraising will follow to create more fellowships.
