Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program

CDIP

The goal of the California State University is to increase the number of faculty with the qualifications, motivation, and skills needed to teach the diverse students of the CSU. CDIP prepares promising doctoral students for CSU faculty positions by providing , and resources.

CDIP is designed to recruit "faculty as diverse as our students" and also seeks to fund applicants in programs the CSU believes will need faculty in the future. It is open to domestic and international students and to those applying or already attending U.S. PhD institutions and some professional doctoral programs. DACA students are also eligible. This is a prestigious and generous award program, providing substantial aid to those who receive the awards.

Mentorship Support

The CDIP supports the success of the doctoral students through mentorship by current CSU faculty. Through collaborative teaching, research and service activities, faculty mentors:

Support the CDIP fellows' successful completion of their doctoral studies;
Develop the CDIP fellows' potential for employment in an instructional faculty position at a CSU.

More information about the CDIP faculty mentor's role can be found on our website, under Mentorship.

Internal Grant Funding

CDIP grants support the collaborative activities of CDIP fellows and their faculty mentors. Fellows can apply for small grants to further their doctoral training and to attend professional conferences and workshops.

Doctoral Education Support Grant provides up to $2,500 yearly for collaborative activities and research-dissertation activities, including research supplies, small equipment, computer programs, software, books, journal subscriptions and research related travel.
The Conference Travel Grant funds fellows and mentors up to $1,500 for travel to participate in professional meetings, conferences and workshops.
Fellows who have advanced to candidacy are eligible to apply for a Dissertation Fellowship award of $5,000 to support them in their final year of their doctoral studies.

Financial Loan

The CDIP offers loans up to $10,000 per year over five years, with a maximum amount of $30,000. The loans are:

Repayable over a 15-year period commencing one year after completion of, or withdrawal from, full-time doctoral study;
Forgivable at the rate of 20% for each year of full-time postdoctoral teaching employment in the CSU or 10% for each year of half-time postdoctoral teaching employment in the CSU.
Note: These loans are pending State Budget approval

For more information about the loan program, please review the , including Loan Cancellation and Repayment and Loan FAQs.

The 2025-2026 Application Cycle is Now Closed

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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Academic Status

The Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program is intended to support doctoral students who will pursue CSU instructional faculty positions. As such, those who meet one of the following criteria are eligible to apply to the CDIP:
- Undergraduate and master’s level graduate students in the application process to accredited doctoral programs in the United States;
- New or continuing full-time doctoral students currently enrolled in accredited programs in the United States.
CSU Employment
- Lecturers who are enrolled full-time in a doctoral program are eligible and encouraged to apply. Probationary or tenured faculty members in the CSU are not eligible, however, regardless of their status in a doctoral program;
- Although enrollment or employment in the CSU is not required for participation in the program, approximately one-fourth of the awards are expected to be made to applicants who have served in the last two years in CSU positions represented by the California Faculty Association.
Professional or Online Doctoral Programs

Most professional doctoral degree programs (such as EdD, DNP, DPT, and PsyD), as well as online programs, are designed for entrance into a nonacademic career. Applicants in a professional doctoral and/or online program may apply to the CDIP ONLY if they plan to pursue a tenure-track instructional faculty position AND their doctoral program's mission explicitly includes preparation and training of future university faculty members (evidence of latter must be provided by applicant).

Citizenship

U.S. citizenship is not required, but applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.

Information about eligibility and selection criteria can be found on the webpage.
APPLICATION COMPONENTS
The CDIP application has two parts: one to be completed by the student applicant, and the other by the applicant in collaboration with the CSU Faculty Mentor. Funds will only be disbursed if the applicant enrolls at an institution they proposed in the application.

To apply to CDIP, you'll need to provide the following Application Materials:

Curriculum Vitae

Include a current resume or curriculum vitae (CV), limited to four pages. Your CV should focus on your academic and professional accomplishments, including scholarly conference presentations at regional or national meetings and publications (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, books).

Qualification and Motivation Statement

Describe your qualifications for the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program. The statement should be limited to three single-sided pages and should address how the following have contributed to your commitment to become a CSU faculty member:
- academic preparation (e.g., academic achievements, awards, honors, and fellowships);
- professional experiences in teaching and research;
- motivation and interest in becoming a university professor (both as a teacher and a fellow);
- connection to the CSU (e.g., former/current CSU student or lecturer, knowledge of the CSU mission and role in preparing California’s workforce);
- dedication and ability to educate a diverse student body.
Please note: Students from a professional and/or online doctoral degree program (see ) must address in their Qualifications and Motivation Statement their professional goal as a university faculty member. This also needs to be addressed in the mentor’s letter of recommendation.

Sample Statements:  |

Note: The samples indicate the range of styles, content and format that CDIP applicants use in the Qualifications and Motivation Statement attachments. All identifying information has been removed from these actual submitted statements.

Collaborative Plan of Support

Applicants to the program must have a CSU faculty mentor. The faculty mentor must be full-time tenured/tenure-track CSU faculty member. The objectives of the mentor/student interactions are to assist the student in his/her doctoral program, to help the student understand the workings of higher education institutions and the faculty labor market specific to particular disciplines, and to aid the student in the development of skills relevant to success as a CSU tenure-track faculty member. Please see  for more information about CDIP faculty mentor’s role and eligibility.

Faculty mentor and applicant are required to jointly develop a written plan of support describing how they intend to maintain communication and collaborate. The plan should describe clearly defined activities with a timeline that is designed to assist the applicant through his/her doctoral studies. The quality of this support plan is critically important in the application selection process.

The contents of the plan may vary depending on the prior contact that the applicant may have had with the faculty and the extent to which he/she is acclimated to the demands of a doctoral program and the expectations of future faculty in the CSU. Detailed instructions can be found in the CDIP Application Guidelines under Competition files on InfoReady.

Samples for Plan of Support:  |

Note: The samples indicate the range of styles, content and format that CDIP applicants use in the Collaborative Plan of Support attachments. All identifying information has been removed from these actual submitted statements.

Letters of Recommendation

(2) current professional letters of recommendation are required that address:
- the quality of applicant’s proposed plan of study (including the quality of the institutions and departments where applicant intends to pursue his/her degree);
- applicant’s potential to succeed as a doctoral student and be hired as a CSU tenure-track instructional faculty (particularly important for professional and/or online doctoral degree program applicants);
- applicant’s experience and motivation relevant to educating a diverse student body in the CSU.
One letter must be from your faculty mentor. If you are currently in a doctoral program, the other letter must be from a faculty member at that institution.

You will input your recommenders' information into Smartsheet and they will be emailed a link to upload their letters after you submit your application.
APPLICATION PROCESS

The 2025-2026 Application Cycle is Now Closed

Review the components of the application and .

Although not mandatory, it is strongly suggested that you have the Campus Coordinator review your application before submitting to . Please send your materials to Nam Nguyen at gradstudies@csusm.edu

Please note, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save the application in progress. Have all materials prepared and ready to submit before you begin the application form through

After you submit your application to , your recommenders will be sent an email request to upload their letters of recommendation.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Two criteria are used to make selections to the Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program:

Academic potential A number of factors are considered to determine the applicant's potential as a doctoral student, potential to become a tenure-track faculty member and interest in working with a diverse student population. These include:
- Potential for continual and sustained quality mentorship by CSU faculty mentor
- Applicant's academic achievement and potential as a doctoral student
- Applicant's potential to become a tenure-track professor
- Applicant's connection to the CSU and passion for CSU students
- Potential for successful collaboration between applicant and CSU faculty mentor in teaching, research and service
- Potential for continual and sustained quality mentorship by CSU faculty mentor
- Quality of the applicant's doctoral program
Academic discipline Primary consideration will be given to candidates whose proposed area of study falls where CSU campuses anticipate the greatest difficulty in filling potential future instructional faculty positions. Information from a variety of sources may be considered when evaluating this criterion.
SELECTION PROCESS

Applications are submitted directly to the CDIP program. A systemwide committee evaluates the applications and makes recommendations. This systemwide committee is composed of the Faculty Director of CDIP, two representatives from Academic Senate of the CSU, a CFA member, and faculty from across the 23 campuses. Applicants will receive communication about the status of their application via email.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Information Sessions for the 2026-2027 Cycle TBD
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

CDIP Brochure

We recommend reviewing the Chancellor's which includes information about the benefits of the CDIP and further resources.

Questions? Contact the �� CDIP Campus Coordinator: Nam Nguyen, gradstudies@csusm.edu

Congratulations to our Previous Fellows

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2024-2025 AWARDEES

Daniela Adriana Carreon
Doctoral Program: Sociology, Arizona State University
Mentor: Dr. Michelle Holling, Communications Department

Yvette Conde
Doctoral Program: Education Policy Analysis and Leadership, University of California at Riverside
Mentor: Dr. Marisol Clark-Ibañez, Sociology Department

Matthew Logan Cope-Arguello
Doctoral Program: Education Policy Analysis and Plant Pathology/Phytopathology, University of California at Davis
Mentor: Dr. Elinne Becket, Biology Department

Diana Gamez
Doctoral Program: Anthropology, University of California at Irvine
Mentor: Dr. Marisol Clark-Ibañez, Sociology Department

Rachel Ann Nortz
Doctoral Program: Education and Leadership, Pacific University
Mentor: Dr. Sue Moineau, Speech-Language Pathology Department

Ciara Sanders
Doctoral Program: Molecular Biology, Princeton University
Mentor: Dr. Elinne Becket, Biology Department

Emmanuel Solis
Doctoral Program: Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University
Mentor: Dr. Carlos Luna, Biology Department
2023-2024 AWARDEES

Juan R. Sandoval
Doctoral Program: Criminology, Law and Society, University of Callifornia at Irvine
Mentor: Dr. Xuan Santos, Sociology Department

Demeturie Toso-Lafaele Gogue
Doctoral Program: Education, University of Callifornia at Los Angeles
Mentor: Dr. Theresa Suarez, Sociology Department
2021-2022 AWARDEE
Annie Le
Doctoral Program: Education, University of Callifornia at Los Angeles
Mentor: Dr. Xuan Santos, Sociology Department
2020-2021 AWARDEE
Jordan Grasso
Doctoral Program: Social Science, University of Callifornia at Irvine
Mentor: Dr. Richelle Swan, Sociology Department
2019-2020 AWARDEES
Francisco Fernandez
Doctoral Program: Biological and Biomedical Science, Harvard University
Mentor: Dr. Matthew Escobar, Biology Department

Tara Marko
Doctoral Program: Health Professions and Related Programs, Washington State University
Mentor: Dr. Geri Schmotzer, School of Nursing
2018-2019 AWARDEES
Jacques Coulombe
Doctoral Program: Mathematics, University of Callifornia at San Diego
Mentor: Dr. Andre Kundgen, Mathematics Department

Teresa Hodges
Doctoral Program: Education, Univerisity of Hawai'i at Manoa
Mentor:Laurette McGuire, Anthropology Department

Emily Merryweather
Doctoral Program: Counseling, Oregon State University
Mentor: Dr. Sharon Hamill, Psychology Department
2017-2018 AWARDEES

Leandro Galaz
Doctoral Program: Social Work, Baylor University
Mentor: Dr. Blake Beecher, Social Work Department

Kristen Nahrstedt
Doctoral Program: Speech-Language Pathology, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
Mentor: Dr. Sue Moineau, Speech-Language Pathology Department

Jose Plascencia-Castillo
Doctoral Program: Sociology, University of Callifornia at Riverside
Mentor: Dr. Christopher Bickel, Sociology Department
2016-2017 AWARDEES
Razel Milo
Doctoral Program: Nursing, University of San Diego
Mentor: Dr. Denise Boren, School of Nursing

Victor Vega
Doctoral Program: Education, University of Callifornia at Irvine
Mentor: Dr. Laurie Stowell, School of Educataion

Lori Walkington
Doctoral Program: Sociology, University of Callifornia at Riverside
Mentor: Dr. Sharon Elise, Sociology Department
2015-2016 AWARDEES
Sarah J. Neal
Doctoral Program: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Nancy Caine, Psychology Department

Arianne M. Schulz
Doctoral Program: Anthropology, University of Callifornia at Riverside
Mentor: Dr. Bonnie Bade, Anthropology Department