The Society of Hellman Fellows program addresses one of the most overlooked pressure points in an academic career: the gap between start-up funding running dry and first major grants coming in. Created by the Hellman family and endowed in perpetuity across all ten University of California campuses, the program gives promising assistant professors the financial runway to pursue research that will define their path to tenure.
About the Society of Hellman Fellows Program
Founded in 1995 at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, the Hellman Fellows program expanded to all ten UC campuses in 2020 through a permanent endowment. Each campus administers its own competitive cycle, with award amounts, eligibility windows, and deadlines varying by location. More than 400 fellowships have been granted at UC Berkeley alone, and the award is widely regarded across the UC system as a strong predictor of tenure success. Each campus chapter is independently administered but follows the program’s core philosophy: backing junior faculty of great promise who have a documented need for additional research funding.
Funding Size
- Award range varies by campus: typically $10,000 to $50,000 per fellowship
- Funds may be used for research assistants, equipment, materials, travel, conference attendance, and in some cases limited faculty salary
- Duration: typically one year, with carryforward provisions available at some campuses
Who Can Apply
- Full-time, tenure-track assistant professors at participating UC campuses
- Applicants must typically have completed at least two years at the assistant professor rank and must not be under consideration for tenure during the award period
- Faculty with significant multi-year early career awards such as the NSF CAREER award are generally not eligible
- Previous Hellman Fellows are not eligible to apply again
- Specific eligibility windows vary by campus
Geographic Eligibility
- University of California system only, across all ten UC campuses
- Each campus administers its own independent cycle
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Sector or Thematic Focus
- Research across all academic disciplines including arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering
- Projects must be completed before the applicant’s tenure review
Application Process
Eligible faculty are notified by their campus Academic Personnel Office, typically in January of each year. Applications are submitted through each campus’s internal online portal. A department chair evaluation form is required as a separate submission at most campuses. Incomplete applications are not reviewed.
Required Materials
- Completed online application form
- Research project proposal and budget justification
- Department chair evaluation form (submitted separately at most campuses)
- Principles of Community statement where required by campus
Key Dates
- 2026/2027 cycle decisions announced in Spring 2026, with funding distributed in Summer 2026
- Next cycle call for applications: January 2027
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Selection Notes
- Advisory committees composed of ladder-rank faculty review applications and make recommendations
- Preference is given to faculty who have not previously received substantial extramural early-career funding
- Funding allocations are often split between STEM and arts, humanities, and social sciences disciplines