Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program

The goal of the California State University Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) 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 financial support, mentorship by CSU faculty and professional development and grant 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.

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.

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

Professional Development & Grants

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.

• The Mini-Grant Program provides up to $2,500 for collaborative activities and research-dissertation activities, including research supplies, small equipment, computer programs, software, books, journal subscriptions and research related travel.
• The Travel Grant Program 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.

• 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 CDIP Eligibility, Selection Criteria and Process 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 Participant Eligibility) 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: Sample 1 | Sample 2

  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 faculty mentor 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: Sample 1 | Sample 2

  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.

  *CSU Faculty Position Announcement is NO LONGER REQUIRED

   

  Please review the Application Guide for detailed information regarding the current admission's cycle.
• APPLICATION PROCESS

  Review the components of the application and start to prepare them in advance of the submission deadline.

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

• 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
  • Q​uality 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

  A systemwide committee reviews the campus nominations and makes recommendations to the Chancellor for final approval.

  The 2024-2025 applicant selection announcements will be made in May 2024.  Fellows will receive communication via email and a list of selected fellows will be posted on the CDIP website.​

• INFORMATION SESSIONS

  Our Information Sessions for the 2024-24 Cycle have now concluded. You may view a recording of a previous session.

• ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  CDIP Brochure

  CDIP Application Guide

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

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

Congratulations to our 2023-2024 CDIP Fellows!