SUBJECT:

Frontiers of Innovation Scholars Program (FISP) - Fellowships for Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars for the 2015-16 Academic Year

The "Frontiers of Innovation" program is a campus-wide effort to support the primary research initiatives of the UC San Diego Strategic Plan. One component of this program provides funding for up to 80 Ph.D. students and 20 postdoctoral fellows working with mentors in at least two different divisions, and 100 undergraduate students working in labs, programs, or centers with a multidisciplinary focus. These trainees will have opportunities to develop their ability to communicate and collaborate with those in very different disciplines, build skills in cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and receive professional-development training. In academic year 2014-15, the program awarded approximately $2,700,000 in Fellowships to 168 trainees from all disciplines.

The Office of Research Affairs (ORA), in conjunction with the Academic Senate, invites applications for this multidisciplinary research fellowship program for trainees to be engaged in one or more of the research areas of UC San Diego's Strategic Plan:

* Understanding and Protecting the Planet
* Enriching Human Life and Society
* Exploring the Basis of Human Knowledge, Learning and Creativity
* Understanding Cultures and Addressing Disparities in Society

Requests for Project Fellowships from PI- eligible mentors will be considered for a target amount of $25,000 for each Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar and $4,000 for each Undergraduate Student. Priority will be given to projects that are aligned with the UC San Diego strategic research themes, represent a new collaborative or multidisciplinary focus, employ novel and creative approaches, and foster commitments to diversity and access.

Ph.D. graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who received funding in 2014-15, may re-apply for funding in 2015-16. Preference will be given to new applicants. Undergraduate funding is for one-year only.

Applications for the fellowships will be accessible on September 1, 2015. The deadline for receiving applications for this funding opportunity is October 12, 2015, with funding to be available in January 2016. Detailed information on the application and selection process, eligibility, and administrative guidelines is available at the following web page: http://research.ucsd.edu/fisp.html

Sandra A. Brown Vice Chancellor for Research Robert E. Continetti Academic Senate, Division Chair