The Berkeley Connect fellowship is a competitive research fellowship with a service component. The outstanding graduate students who are selected to be Berkeley Connect Fellows receive a year of support so that they can advance their own research; at the same time they act as mentors to undergraduate students, and are mentored themselves by faculty in their department.
Each Berkeley Connect Fellow mentors two groups of up to 20 undergraduate students a semester. As mentors, they meet with students one-on-one; facilitate informal small-group discussions, approximately every other week, about topics related to their academic discipline; and accompany students to special events and excursions. Berkeley Connect Fellows are not teaching; there are no homework assignments, papers, or exams, and no grading is involved.
Berkeley Connect Fellows are graduate students (or recent graduates) with exceptional teaching records and mentoring experience, as well as demonstrated research progress. During their fellowship year they meet regularly with Berkeley Connect faculty who, in addition to discussing effective mentoring and group facilitation strategies, work with the fellows to advance their research and prepare them for the job market. Most fellows make significant progress towards completing their dissertations during their Berkeley Connect year. Each fellow receives a stipend and full tuition and fee remission.
As a Berkeley Connect Fellow, you have the opportunity to serve as a role model and guide, helping students get the most out of their undergraduate experience at Berkeley; develop effective mentoring skills that will serve you well on the job market; and receive support for your research.
Interested in applying for a Berkeley Connect fellowship? Departments start accepting applications as early as February for the next academic year. If you are affiliated with one of our Participating Departments, please contact your department’s Berkeley Connect faculty director, chair, or graduate student advisor for more details about the application process/timeline.