UC's National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement $15K Non-Residential Fellowships (Applications Due March 21)

From the webpage:

Applications are due by Monday, March 30th at midnight. If you have questions, please feel free to contact freespeechcenter@uci.edu or register for an info session. [Information Session: February 24, 2026, at 12pm PT | 3pm ET.]

About the Center

The UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement explores the intersection of expression, engagement and democratic learning and considers what can be done to restore trust in the value of free speech on college campuses and within society at large….

About the Fellowship

Each year, the Center selects fellows from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds such as law, journalism, higher education, social science, technology and government. The Center welcomes candidates from all backgrounds to apply, and invites a wide range of innovative projects. As part of the University of California, the Center is committed to promoting diversity and equal opportunity in its education, services and administration, as well as research and creative activity.

Over the course of the fellowship, each fellow completes a project. Work products can take many forms such as (but not limited to) qualitative/quantitative research, curricular modules, toolkits or training programs/pilots. We are focused on projects that address current issues affecting students, staff, administrators and faculty and will have a direct impact on individuals and communities across campuses. For more information about the work of previous fellows, click here….

This 18 month non-residential fellowship will run from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. Selected fellowships will be awarded $15,000 to support their work.

This year we are particularly interested in projects that address the following issues:

• How best to safeguard academic freedom in response to the national and global climate including executive and legislative assaults and other threats to the creation and transmission of knowledge;
• Exploring the interaction between anti-discrimination laws and expression on campus;
• Navigating values-based polarization and political partisanship in higher education;
• The role of AI and/or social media in the future of free speech and civic engagement in higher education;
• Higher education’s role in supporting democracy and democratic learning;
• Strategies for engaging students, faculty, and staff in democratic governance and policy making at the institutional, local, and national level;
• The relationship between civic engagement and anti-authoritarianism;
• The intersection of campus climate and expression, including the impact of national and international events.

Fellowship Expectations

Fellows will devote the first year of the fellowship to research and development of their work products, with completion expected by June 30, 2027. During this period, fellows will submit written updates on their progress to Center team members and receive feedback and guidance.

During the final six months, fellows will engage the broader public with their work. This engagement will include participation in Center programming or marketing initiatives, such as a Fellows in the Field workshop; writing an op-ed; submitting proposals for conference presentations or journal publications; presenting to a campus cohort or other university audiences.

Fellows are expected to engage with the incoming cohort of fellows as well as participate in monthly virtual meetings and two two-day colloquia, held at or near a UC campus or at the UC Center in Washington, D.C. These in-person meetings are typically held between August-October. Travel and accommodations will be covered by the Center.

Involvement and interaction with the UC community is critical to the Center’s mission. Over the course of the program, fellows will be provided access to resources and connections throughout the 10-campus UC system as befits their research.

How to Apply

Fill out the form at Call for Fellows 2026-2027, including the following:

• A current curriculum vitae/resume.
• A statement (not to exceed 1,250 words) describing your proposed project and how it will further the national conversation related to expression and democratic participation on college campuses. Please address the following:
  • The need for the project: Describe the problem, gap, or opportunity your project addresses. As appropriate, situate your project in relation to existing research, practice-based evidence, or relevant policy contexts.
  • Project objectives: Clearly state the goals of the project and what it seeks to accomplish.
  • Project methods: Describe what you will do and explain why your approach is appropriate for the project’s goals. Proposals involving empirical research should clearly describe the study design, data sources, and analytic approach.
  • Anticipated impact: Describe how the project may inform or influence campus communities, practices, or conversations related to expression and democratic participation.
  • Citations/references (not included in the 1,250 word limit).
• Please address (not to exceed 500 words) how your academic and/or professional experiences qualify you to complete this project, including access to any tools/resources/populations required.
• Please describe (not to exceed 250 words) what draws you to the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement fellowship and how the Center’s mission and resources connect to your proposed project.

• Please create a timeline for the research and development of your work product, to be completed by June 30, 2027, and plans for how you will utilize the final six months of the fellowship to share your work with the broader higher education community….

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