Effective conservation brings together research, partnerships across disciplines and sectors, and a commitment to iterative learning that supports long-term stewardship. In conservation science, community and citizen science (CCS) approaches can be especially powerful and yield valuable data while also advancing other parts of a conservation program, such as education and community engagement. However, formal training in CCS is not yet widely available for graduate students pursuing degrees in conservation science. Whatever their career paths, graduate students can benefit from an awareness of, and experiences with CCS approaches, applied in a conservation context.

The UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science offers the Community and Citizen Science in Conservation Fellowship to provide graduate students in conservation with the opportunity for training, funding, and guided hands-on experience with CCS. To qualify for the fellowship, graduate students must complete a 10-week seminar in the spring exploring CCS approaches and applications broadly related to conservation. Accepted fellows will be awarded a stipend for research support and given mentorship and professional development opportunities throughout the following academic year.

New Partnerships in 2023

We are excited to partner with two centers of excellence at UC Davis to expand the CCSiC Fellowship program: the Institute for the Environment, and the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute. These partnerships allow us to increase the number of fellowships available, and expand the professional development and networking opportunities provided to graduate students during their fellowship experience.