The Leaders for the Future Fellowship is open to UC Davis Master’s and Ph.D. students as well as postdoctoral researchers in all disciplines who are interested in developing leadership, innovation and business skills while engaging in an experiential project or applied experience outside academia.
Get notified when 2025-26 applications open
It's your time to shine!
Gain confidence and a strong sense of community as you develop in-demand leadership, innovation and business skills. As part of this fellowship, you’ll engage in an experiential project or applied experience beyond academia that aligns with your interests and potential work aspirations.
Develop practical skills that enable you to stand out as a job candidate, communicate with impact and collaborate effectively on teams. Build your network and celebrate your successes as a member of a supportive interdisciplinary cohort of UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
In this nine-month program you will:
- Gain valuable leadership, innovation and business skills through interactive lunch sessions within an interdisciplinary cohort.
- Explore career possibilities as you design and implement an experiential project or applied experience beyond academia.
- Build your network and hear from others who have navigated obstacles and traveled their own pathway to success.
- Receive mentoring and coaching to support your professional development.
- Learn and apply a strengths-based approach to leadership and collaboration that will bring out the best in you and others.
This program has helped me think more intentionally about the leadership values and has given me the tools to communicate effectively, support others, and lead with compassion and confidence.”
-Marie Klein, Leaders for the Future Fellow 2024-25
Snapshot: Your Year as a Fellow
To successfully complete the program, you must:
- Plan and engage in a focused experiential project or applied experience beyond academia
- Attend and participate in all of the following:
- UC Entrepreneurship Academy
- Lunch-and-Learn Sessions
- Closing Session
Learn more
Eligibility and Requirements
A successful applicant is:
- A current UC Davis graduate student or postdoctoral scholar (title codes 3252, 3253, 3254, 3255 or 3256) in any discipline.
- In an academic program or appointment for the duration of the Leaders for the Future program.
Note: Ph.D. candidates must be on active student status (not on filing fee status or PELP) during the program. We give priority to those who have completed qualifying exams by program start (next cohort begins September 2025) and to those who articulate their intent to participate in an experiential project.
The fellowship's inclusion of the UC Entrepreneurship Academy, career panels, and interactive sessions played a key role in my decision to join, as these opportunities offer valuable insights into industry expectations and professional growth.”
-Iyanuoluwa Filani, Leaders for the Future Fellow 2024-25
How to Apply
Applications open every summer for the following academic year's cohort. If you're interested in becoming a Leaders for the Future Fellow, please check our website in summer 2025.
Questions?
Reach out to our team at aggieinnovators@ucdavis.edu.