The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at the University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC) is a two-year program and life-long network.
It serves students with the highest potential to make sustained contributions as conservation innovators and leaders and to increase the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of the conservation field. The program is looking for 20 passionate, creative undergraduate students from any major with at least two more years of college left. Any students who do not require a student visa to study in the United States (including citizens, nationals, residents, refugees, DACA, undocumented, and more) and plan to finish a four-year degree AFTER December 2024 are eligible.
There are several parts to the application
Information about you:
Please include contact information, description of your recent jobs, activities, awards, information about your recommender(s), and your answers to three essay questions. Required questions are marked with an asterisk (*). We will also ask you for optional demographic information about yourself. Your choice to not provide us with this information will not influence your likelihood of being selected to participate in the program.
Transcripts:
Unofficial copies of transcripts are fine, and they are typically easier for you to obtain. Please submit all of your college transcripts, even if you have earned credit at more than one institution.
A letter of recommendation:
You’ll need at least one (1) recommendation letter. A second letter is optional. We suggest that you contact — in person or by email — someone you have worked closely with who is familiar with some of the experiences that you have described in your essays. Ideally, your recommender is a current or former coach, employer, professor, supervisor, or other academic or professional mentor willing to provide you with a detailed letter. Letters from family and relatives will not be accepted. Please share information about the program with your recommender (such as the website and your essays), and ask your recommender to describe how they know you, how long they have known you, your suitability for this program, and your potential to make a significant contribution to the field of conservation.
Please complete the information on the application about who is providing your letter and provide their email address in the corresponding field. Submittable will send them a letter of recommendation request on your behalf. We suggest using the “send request now” option, or requests will not be sent to recommenders until after your application has been submitted.