The University of California announced today (April 20) that it will extend for two years its UC President’s Global Food Initiative Student Fellowship Program.
The UC Office of the President will continue to fund three fellowships per campus, with the amount increasing to $4,000 each fellowship, from $2,500, to support student-generated research, related projects or internships that focus on food issues.
“After we opened up the Global Food Initiative Student Fellowship Program, I was so impressed by the quality of the fellowship recipients — and applicants — that we decided to extend the program,” UC President Janet Napolitano said. “Students play an important role in the Global Food Initiative. We’re looking to the global food fellows to be leaders in the initiative’s efforts to address food security, health and sustainability.”
All 10 UC campuses, UC’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are participating in the student fellowship program, which launched last fall. The program is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, and administered at each location to ensure that student efforts align with local needs.
The first round of 54 fellows — which included additional awards supported by campus internal and external funding — is addressing issues ranging from community gardens and food pantries to urban agriculture and food waste. Fellowship funding comes from the UC President’s Initiative Fund.
Napolitano, together with UC's 10 chancellors, launched the Global Food Initiative in July in an effort to help put UC's campuses, the state and the world on a pathway to sustainably and nutritiously feed themselves.