The Schefsky Foundation Political Science Diversity Award

Help support summer research by UC Davis political science graduate students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.

The ultimate goal is to improve summer funding for all UC Davis political science doctoral students. Students who do not receive summer funding rely on savings, loans, family support, or seek work off campus unrelated to their studies for summer support.

“In many ways, I was an untraditional graduate student, having come from parents with no college education and a very low-income background. Having summer funding both reduced major financial anxiety for me and also kept me from going back to work in the service industry, instead providing me with crucial opportunities to develop my skills and research.”

The goal is to reach an endowment of $50,000 to sustain summer stipends; A $35,000 donation from the Schefsky Foundation has already been contributed. If the $50k goal is not met, all gifts received will be designated as current use funds for the same purpose.