A mentor paves the way for their mentees to thrive both professionally and personally providing a supportive and nurturing environment so that mentees from all backgrounds are encouraged in developing their unique set of skills and interests.

The Mentor Leadership program at the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP) will focus on how to develop the important understanding and skills required to be an effective and trusted mentor. An annual fellowship in the amount of $5K ($4K stipend, $1K activities/supplies) will be awarded to one science, engineering or mathematics graduate student to serve as a CSEP Mentor Leadership Fellow. The selected fellow will be a lead mentor for graduate students and postdocs across a wide range of STEM disciplines, serving as a role model and guide for developing mentoring expertise. During their tenure as a Fellow they will develop and lead a suite of mentoring activities and resources. In addition to implementing well-established activities, the fellow will have the ability to create timely resources and activities that align with their interests. Fellows will join the CSEP mentor training team, working alongside and receiving support from CSEP staff and affiliated faculty.

The CSEP Mentor Leadership Fellow will have much creative input in the tenure of their year-long fellowship. Expected time commitment is approximately 3-5hrs/week. Under the guidance of the CSEP team, the fellow will:

• Develop their own mentoring workshop or resource based on their own interests and creativity. These workshops promote mentoring through various avenues (the mentor toolkit handbook on the CSEP website, interactive video/audio content, mentoring self-assessment packet, mentoring resources page).
• Facilitate the annual 3-part summer mentor training series.
• Participate in bi-weekly planning meetings with CSEP program coordinators and undergrad research program SuperMentors
• Participate in the promotion and selection of the next mentoring fellow
• Discuss mentoring resources across the UCSB campus. For example, a fellow may be invited as a guest speaker to mentor or mentee-related workshops throughout the year. (Opportunities depend on Fellow interests and availability).

• Fellowship Dates: Jan 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027
• Amount: $5,000 total ($4,000 for fellow stipend, and $1,000 for activities/materials)
• Deadline to apply: November 8, 2026 at 11:59PM
• Contact: csep-mentorship@ucsb.edu

• A graduate student in a science, engineering, or mathematics PhD program
• Demonstrated leadership and undergraduate mentoring experience
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Understanding of how diverse and inclusive perspectives impacts student retention and success

Complete the Google Form Application. To complete the application, you will need:

Mentoring Experience and Philosophy Statement (Max 2 pages, font 11, double spaced. Must be PDF)
Please follow the prompt below and use specific examples where applicable.

• Paragraph 1: Mentoring Experience and Background
  • Describe your mentoring experience and include your motivation for mentoring. Please include the number of students you have mentored and any relevant information (whether you mentored them at UCSB or elsewhere, approximate length of each mentor-mentee relationship, whether they are an undergraduate student or other, and the type of guidance you provided).
• Paragraph 2: Mentoring Philosophy and Strengths
  • Describe your mentoring philosophy, mentoring style, and the qualities that make you an effective mentor. Explain how you foster supportive, encouraging, and productive mentoring relationships.
• Paragraph 3: Fostering Inclusive Mentoring
  • Describe your experience supporting students from all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, in STEM and your approach to fostering an inclusive and supportive mentoring environment.
• Paragraph 4: CSEP Mentor Leadership Fellowship
  • Explain your interest in becoming the 2027 CSEP Mentor Leadership Fellow and what aspects of the fellowship you are particularly interested in.  Describe any relevant leadership experience, and how the fellowship would contribute to your professional development and long-term career goals. Include relevant mentoring trainings, if any, that you have participated in that would make you a good fit for this position  
• Paragraph 5: Fellow Contributions
  • If given the opportunity to lead a workshop, or develop content for the UCSB mentoring community, please list the title/initiative, goals, target audience, and key content you would include to strengthen graduate student mentor development.

A current CV (Max 2 pages, Must be PDF)
One letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor or something directly familiar with your mentoring experience. You will enter the name of your letter writer as part of the google form application. Letter should be emailed to csep-mentorship@ucsb.edu by the application deadline of Nov. 8, 2026 at 11:59PM.

• NOTE: We understand that letter writers may be on a different timeline than the applicant. If any questions or concerns come up when supplying the recommendation letter, please reach out to csep-mentorship@ucsb.edu

APPLY HERE