UC Davis’ Public Scholarship and Engagement and Graduate Studies have partnered to support doctoral students who are interested in developing their community engaged research with non-university partners. The Public Scholars for the Future program integrates community-centered theories, methods and techniques into the practice of the next generation of public scholars. 

This is an interdisciplinary cohort-based program open to Ph.D. students in any UC Davis college or school who plan to register for in-person instruction in the 2023 winter quarter. Eligible individuals include doctoral students who are developing a research proposal that includes a community-engaged component or has an existing community-engaged research project associated with their field of study. Key to this program is an emphasis on community engagement, which can be defined as a collaborative process with a specific community (i.e., place, practice, identity, and/or interest), centers on a common goal or outcome and is defined by reciprocal and mutually-beneficial relationships. 

The program requires participation in the following: 

• A two unit, 10-week seminar during the 2023 winter quarter where students collectively engage in readings and discussions focused on theories, methodologies and practices of community-engaged research.
• One-on-one mentoring by UC Davis faculty public scholars during the spring or summer of 2023.

Students who successfully complete the program will be awarded $1000 for research support via the transfer of funds to a university account. For more information and to be considered for the program, please visit Pubic Scholars for the Future.