Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program

Applicants must be ONE of the following:

• New or continuing full-time doctoral student currently enrolled in an accredited program in the U.S., 
• Undergraduate and master’s level graduate students (CSU students included) in the process of applying to an accredited doctoral program in the U.S., or 
• Lecturer (including current CSU lecturer) enrolled full-time in a doctoral program 

Applicants are not required to have attended a CSU for eligibility.

Applicants in professional doctoral degree programs (e.g., EdD) may apply only if: 

• They are notin or applying to a CSU EdD program,
• The doctoral program’s mission explicitly includes preparation and training of future university faculty members, 
• They can present evidence that graduates of the program have become faculty members at the CSU or comparable universities, and 
• The doctoral degree is in a discipline in which they are currently teaching as a lecturer or will be teaching as a lecturer.

2025-2026 

• Application deadline: February 15, 2025
• Awardees Announced: June 2025

1. Statement of Qualifications and Motivation
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. Collaborative Plan of Support
4. Two Letters of Recommendation (One must be from CSU Faculty Mentor)

CDIP supports students throughout their doctoral journey and beyond. When fellows are selected, they gain access to CSU funding and resources available only to them as part of their participation in CDIP. 

CDIP offers Educational Support Grants and Travel Grants for each year as a fellow and a one-time dissertation award. CDIP Fellows must apply for these grants and funding is not guaranteed.

• CDIP Fellow Doctoral Education Support Grant ($2,500) funds fellows for doctoral education activities,
  including: supplies, small equipment, software, books, journal subscriptions, and travel to field/research sites.
  • Application due October 15
• CDIP Fellow Conference Travel Grant ($1,500) funds fellows up to $3,000 yearly for travel to participate in professional meetings, conferences and workshops. CSU mentors are funded up to $1,500 to join their fellows at one conference yearly.
  • Applications due, Nov 15 and May 15
• CDIP Fellow Final Year Dissertation Award ($5,000) supports doctoral studies completion in the final year when
  fellows write dissertations.
  • Only available for fellow’s final year. Application due March 15

When CDIP fellows join the program, they gain access to some of the best Career Development Programs in the system. In addition to the CSU mentorship, they learn from CSU faculty from across the system and the nation through these programs:

• Pre-Professor Program: The Pre-Professor Program (PREPP) supports CDIP fellows’ transition to faculty positions by engaging them in a semester-long program at a CSU campus.
  • Fall and Spring deadlines for students in their final years. One time, $1000 successful completion.
• First Friday Career Development: CDIP First Fridays brings fellows and faculty from across the CSU together to demystify higher education and faculty careers in the CSU. We bring CSU faculty from across the system to connect with fellows in order to support their career development and transitions in higher education.
  • First Friday of the month Fall and Spring 
• National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) membership: CDIP fellows are eligible for an Individual membership to NCFDD if their institutions do not provide memberships.
  • If the Fellow's institution does not have access, CDIP will purchase an individual membership for $495 a year
• Institute for Teaching and Learning career development programs designed by and for CSU faculty, staff, and administrators: 
  • Advancing Inclusive Mentoring: Free
  • Certificate Program Student Success Analytics: Scholarship available ($1500)
  • CSU Innovative Teaching Symposiums: Covered by CDIP

• CDIP offers optional loans up to $10,000 per year, with a maximum amount of $30,000. 
• This is a private loan.
• Interest is not charged until the repayment period begins.
• The optional loan is repayable up to a 15-year period commencing one year after completion of, or withdrawal from, full-time doctoral study. 
• The optional loan is 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. 
• The amount forgiven is income, and it will be taxed.
• The optional loan is not part of a federal forgiveness program, so it cannot be forgiven except with the conditions above. 

Given the uncertainty of the academic job market and the available grants and awards, we encourage fellows to seek our grants and awards first and get educated about the loan conditions before taking out this loan.