Visiting Scholar Program

The Science and Justice Research Center (SJRC) hosts approximately 3-5 visitors annually offering opportunities for students and scholars at all levels of their career to participate in our active community. Visitors have come from many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, and Wales. Utilizing the University of California Intercampus Exchange Program, visiting UC graduate students have come from campuses in Berkeley, San Diego and San Francisco. The Center seeks visitors who will, in residence, actively participate in the community by engaging with its students and affiliates and contribute to the Center’s themes, activities, reading groups and uniquely formatted working group and training program events.

In addition to camaraderie, the Center may offer shared office space with typical office resources, access to the university’s Science and Engineering and McHenry libraries, opportunities to present research to an intellectually diverse audience while engaging with graduate students and faculty whose work could further inform your research at a beautiful campus that is ideal for thinking and writing.

The campus continues to manage the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes several actions that University community members must take to remain in compliance with the campus Interim Public Health Policy. All COVID-19 mitigations apply to visitors and non-affiliates (“Campus Visitors”) who come onto any University operated site. This information is posted at the following website: https://slugstrong.ucsc.edu/.

Interested in getting involved? Apply Now.

Visitors are encouraged to identify members of the Center’s community and others across the university with whom they would like to work with in activities such as offering an academic talk or attending or guest lecturing in related science and justice courses. Connecting with at least one UCSC faculty member is required as they will need to agree to act as the official Faculty Sponsor throughout your residency in the program. Past academic interests include socioecological justice, race and genomics, digital networks and feminism, citizen science and data collection, societal dimensions of emerging technologies and more. Our current and past visitors.

With few exceptions we do not currently have resources to financially support visitors. However, we also do not have any requirements for in-kind financial contributions from visitors. Members of the Visiting Scholar Program are welcome to use Center facilities and resources in order to pursue their individual research projects as approved. Those applying for grants to support their visit (ie: Fulbright) should review our grant application and review process, the Center can provide letters of support.

The SJRC is not an academic department, therefore visitor appointments are coordinated through the Sociology Department to the Social Sciences’ Division. In addition to providing important information about U.S. visa regulations and requirements for international scholars, the International Education Office can assist with information on housing, local k-12 schools, travel and general information on living in the Santa Cruz community.

Science & Justice considers applications on a rolling basis. Applications are reviewed by an interdisciplinary steering committee and should be received at least four months prior to your planned visit. Please note timeframes and visa requirements needed to process your application, and ensure you apply with enough time for all steps to be completed before your arrival.

The academic year at UC Santa Cruz is divided into three 10-week terms, roughly late September through December, January through March, and April through mid-June. We encourage scholars to visit for at least one full academic quarter, however we will consider shorter visits. View future university academic calendars.

Graduate Students – submit the following to scijust@ucsc.edu with the application:

  • CV
  • A letter of recommendation from your primary research advisor.
  • A letter of support from at least one UC Santa Cruz faculty member you want to work with.
  • Note: Current University of California graduate students must also apply for the University of California Intercampus Exchange Program please check home and host campus deadlines.

Non-Student Scholars – submit the following to scijust@ucsc.edu with the application:

  • CV
  • Letter of support from at least one UC Santa Cruz faculty member you want to work with.