Interested in helping to shape the national dialogue about free speech on college campuses? Passionate about the First Amendment and civil discourse?
The National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, launched by University of California President Janet Napolitano in October, seeks legal scholars, journalists, policymakers, social scientists and others for its one-year fellowship program.
UC seeks applicants who are established in their respective fields and who are committed to advancing knowledge and discourse on the First Amendment and civic engagement, and who will use the fellowship opportunity for pioneering work in the free speech arena.
Up to eight fellows will be selected for these one-year, part-time positions, which come with a $20,000 stipend to support original research or other projects that further freedom of expression.
“The national center’s first class of fellows will have the challenging and exciting mission of exploring new ground concerning free speech issues,” Napolitano said. “They will represent a cross-section of the country’s brightest, most influential minds focused on new approaches to fostering and broadening civil discourse.”
Napolitano launched the Washington D.C.-based center to advance research, education and advocacy on issues of free speech and civic engagement, both at the college campus level and across the national political landscape.
The fellowship program is at the core of that effort. In addition to conducting research or developing a project, fellows will engage current UC students at the UC Washington Center in Washington, D.C., and spend a week in residence at one of UC’s 10 campuses.
At the end of their yearlong fellowship, participants will present their work at a national conference, with the aim of developing new approaches for educating students about the critical role of the First Amendment in American democracy.
Applicants must submit the following materials to the fellowship application page by January 12, 2018:
A resume;
A personal statement of 500 words or fewer; and
An outline of a research or project proposal.
Following the close of the application period, the center’s advisory board will review and select up to eight applicants to serve a one-year fellowship beginning in early 2018. For more information, please visit the website for the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.
