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The UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP), also searched for as the UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship, is a University of California postdoctoral fellowship run by the UC Office of the President. It pays a salary plus a research and professional-development allowance and pairs each fellow with a faculty mentor. This guide sets out the current terms, the exact application materials and their limits, and the factors the selection page says may reduce consideration. Everything below is as described on the official program pages, checked 2026-10-29, for the 2026-27 cycle; programs change, so check the cycle you are applying to.
What it is and who runs it
The PPFP offers “postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring” to scholars in all fields. It is administered by the UC Office of the President (Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs). Scholars who want to do postdoctoral research at a UC campus and pursue an academic career at UC are invited to apply, and fellows are selected annually across disciplines, UC campuses and the three UC-affiliated national laboratories.
The program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority PhD recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The program’s about page reports that about 70% of fellows have received tenure-track faculty appointments and that more than 400 former fellows have received UC faculty appointments since 2003. Some campus pages quote a different percentage; the program’s own figure is the one used here.
The “President’s” and “Presidential” naming variants
The official name is the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. “UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship” and “UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program” are informal variants of the same program, not separate awards. The UC Office of the President also lists related programs on its faculty diversity pages, such as Early Career Faculty Research Excellence Awards, listed alongside the PPFP as separate programs.
Eligibility (summary, with the official source)
The evaluation page states that applicants must hold or receive a PhD or terminal degree (JD, MD, MFA, DVM, EdD, etc.) from an accredited university before the fellowship starts. The conditions below come from the application requirements page. Read them in full at ppfp.ucop.edu application requirements.
- Terminal degree. A PhD or other terminal degree held or received before the fellowship starts, from an accredited university.
- PhD timing. Applicants select when the PhD was or will be completed: before January 1, 2027; between January 1 and June 30, 2027; or after June 30, 2027 (2026-27 cycle options).
- Work authorization. Successful applicants must present documents showing they are “legally authorized to work in the United States without restrictions or limitations.”
- A mentor who is not your advisor. The mentor must be a tenured, ladder-rank professor (associate or full professor) other than the PhD dissertation advisor, and must agree to serve as primary mentor.
- The thesis advisor as Reference #1. The dissertation advisor must serve as the required first reference; a second reference is optional.
Citizenship and demographic questions are collected for statistical purposes only and are not shared with the selection committee.
What it funds or requires
The terms-of-award page says the program awards approximately 30 fellowships annually and describes the following for the current cycle.
| Term | As described on the official page (checked 2026-10-29) |
|---|---|
| Salary | $71,491 |
| Research and professional development | $5,000 for “research expenses and professional development” (no split between the two is stated) |
| Length | A 12-month period, beginning on July 1 |
| Renewal | May be granted “upon demonstration of academic productivity and participation in program events”; all renewal terms end June 30 |
| Benefits | Health, vision and dental, paid sick leave, family/medical leave, and 4 weeks of paid time off |
Fellows are expected to focus full-time on research and avoid other commitments such as teaching or additional employment, to establish residence and take part in academic life at the host campus, to meet regularly with the faculty mentor, and to attend program events such as the Fall Meeting and Spring Academic Retreat. Other awards may be held at the same time if the requirements of both are met. An awardee who already has a tenure-track offer, or who holds other postdoctoral awards, may receive the fellowship for one year without renewal.
Older listings still quote earlier salary figures. Use the amount on the current terms-of-award page, not a campus or aggregator page.
Application or compliance steps
Documents, with the official limits
Every upload is a PDF with a header in the form “Last Name, First Name – Document Name”.
| Document | Limit stated on the page |
|---|---|
| Research proposal | 700 to 1,000 words, typed; references, citations, formulas, images and graphics do not count. A different proposal may be submitted for each institution. |
| Dissertation abstract | One page |
| Education and background statement | 300 to 700 words: educational background, experience in higher education, and how past leadership will inform your contribution as a future faculty member |
| Curriculum vitae | No length limit stated |
| Writing sample | Maximum 35 pages; references, citations, formulas, photos and graphics do not count |
| Graduate transcripts | Official transcripts are requested at award notification and are required to receive the offer |
Sequence
- Prepare the PDFs with the correct headers.
- Obtain the mentor’s sponsorship before you enter any of their information.
- Enter the mentor and reference details (name, department, campus, official campus email).
- Submit the complete application by the deadline. The system emails your mentor and references an upload link only after you submit.
That last point shapes the schedule: the mentor letter and the advisor’s reference letter are uploaded after you submit, so a mentor who has not yet agreed can leave you with an incomplete file. The mentor letter must address your planned research, expected coursework if any, your participation in departmental and campus academic activities, anticipated participation in national and international research meetings, facilities and resources, and the mentor’s involvement in programs that increase access to higher education. The thesis advisor’s letter addresses the quality and originality of your work, your potential for an academic teaching and research career, and, if the PhD is in progress, the likelihood of completion by July 1, 2027. If you apply to the Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, the mentor letter should also cover the department’s future hiring plans.
Typical timeline phases
- Preparation (before the portal opens). Identify a mentor, obtain sponsorship, and draft the proposal and statements.
- Application window. The online application opens on September 1 and closes at a fixed deadline; in the 2026-27 cycle the page states a November 1 deadline.
- Letters. Mentor and reference letters have a later deadline than the application itself (December 1 in the 2026-27 cycle).
- Review and decisions. Faculty reviewers evaluate applications; finalists are notified by March 31 and awards are announced in mid-summer (the page lists March 31, 2027 for decisions in the 2026-27 cycle).
- Start. Awards begin July 1.
The page states that key dates vary by partner university, so confirm the dates for each partner program you apply to.
Common mistakes
The evaluation page lists factors that may reduce consideration and asks applicants to address them in the application. Treat them as a checklist before you submit.
- A current tenure-track appointment or a faculty offer.
- Substantial postdoctoral experience of the kind typical for tenure-track candidates.
- Being unable to complete the tenure process within the five-year postdoctoral limit.
- Proposing to work in your PhD department or with your current postdoctoral mentor.
Other avoidable errors follow from the requirements above: naming your dissertation advisor as the mentor, entering mentor details before securing agreement, missing the PDF header format, and exceeding the word and page limits. Reviewers are faculty in your own and related fields, and the stated criteria are academic accomplishments, the strength of the proposal, the potential for an impactful faculty career, the mentor’s commitment, a record of developing new areas of inquiry or applying novel approaches, and contribution to the UC mission.
Related programs
The PPFP application also feeds partner programs. These are the partners and programs the official pages name.
| Program or partner | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship | Applications should also address the department’s future hiring plans in the mentor letter |
| UC campuses and UC national laboratories | Fellows are selected across UC campuses and the three UC-affiliated national laboratories |
| Non-UC partners | Named partners include Cal-Bridge, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Maryland, University of Michigan and Virginia Tech |
For other early-career fellowships, see CASRAI’s guides on the NASA Postdoctoral Program, the Marie Curie fellowship and early-career foundation fellowships compared, the comparison of NSF postdoctoral fellowships by directorate, and the dictionary entry for postdoctoral fellowship.
FAQ
Is the UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship the same as the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Yes. Both phrases refer to the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program run by the UC Office of the President.
How much does the fellowship pay?
The terms-of-award page (checked 2026-10-29) gives a salary of $71,491 and $5,000 for research expenses and professional development, for a 12-month term beginning July 1, with benefits.
Can my PhD advisor be my mentor?
No. The mentor must be a tenured, ladder-rank professor other than your dissertation advisor. Your advisor serves as Reference #1.
Do I need to be a US citizen?
The page does not set a citizenship requirement. Successful applicants must show they are legally authorized to work in the United States without restrictions or limitations.
Can the fellowship be renewed?
A renewal may be granted upon demonstration of academic productivity and participation in program events. Awardees with a tenure-track offer or other postdoctoral awards may receive one year without renewal.
Sources
- President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, home (checked 2026-10-29)
- PPFP about page (checked 2026-10-29)
- Application requirements, 2026-27 cycle (checked 2026-10-29)
- Terms of award (checked 2026-10-29)
- Evaluation and selection (checked 2026-10-29)
- UC Office of the President, PPFP page (checked 2026-10-29)
