Predoctoral Fellowship

Program Components

Advanced Alcohol Research Seminar

During this seminar, trainees learn about novel alcohol and drug topics that relate to disparities and inequities. ARG also invites select leading experts to serve as Enrichment Speakers. In addition to presenting in the seminar, these experts spend additional time meeting with trainees to discuss research, grant ideas, career pathways, and possible collaborations.

Mentorship

All trainees are mentored by experts in alcohol-related disparities, and the individual mentee-mentor pairings are tailored to the mentee’s research and preferences. Mentees meet with their mentors regularly to receive feedback on a range of topics, including research methods, publications, grants, career goals, and soft skills.

Research Activities

Trainees may conduct research and learn about the many facets of project management (e.g., budgeting, data collection, team management) in the context of an active research project. Research opportunities exist at ARG and collaborating institutions.

Conferences & Professional Development

Each trainee has a yearly travel budget for professional conferences, such as RSA, APHA, CPDD, along with disciplinary conferences in the trainee’s area (e.g., the American Psychological Association’s meeting). Similarly, trainees have dedicated funds for professional development that can cover expenses that will aid their development as independent scientists.

Further Education

Trainees complete a Responsible Conduct in Research Course. In addition, ARG offers Statistical training through a Stat forum series and expert statisticians are available to consult with trainees on a wide range of complex analytic techniques.

Funding and Program Requirements

Candidates for the predoctoral training program must be enrolled in a doctoral program at a campus of the University of California (UC).  The predoctoral fellowship offers the opportunity to work with leaders in the field on topics related to alcohol and drugs.  Training helps fellows to acquire new knowledge and skills, build collegial relationships, and progress toward research independence.

Predoctoral fellows will have a one-year term appointment with the Alcohol Research Group for a one-year term, which is renewable for a second year. Predoctoral fellows usually work out of their home offices. Predoctoral trainees receive a $27,144 stipend per year plus $9,297 for tuition & fees.

Funding details: Although stipends are paid by NIAAA, the money is funded through UC Berkeley and is thus considered to be UC Berkeley funds.  If you receive or plan to receive other UC Berkeley funds, please check with UC Berkeley to ensure that you do not exceed your internal funding cap.  Additionally, be aware that NIH policy prohibits you from receiving fellowship funds along with any other federal grant that offers a stipend.  If you have concerns about combining federal grant money, please check with ARG’s Training Program Administrator Kwinoja Kapiteni. Finally, you may receive compensation for additional employment, but only 50% time is allowable and the employment must be approved by your mentor.

All predoctoral fellows are required to enroll in the “Advanced Alcohol Research Seminar,” PH 202G, through UC Berkeley, School of Public Health.

Applicants must be advanced to candidacy; that is, they must have completed graduate course work and be involved in dissertation research.  Completion of the dissertation is expected within the two-year maximum term of the fellowship.  Those who anticipate requiring more than two years in order to complete their dissertations should wait until they are within a two-year window prior to applying.

Applications will be accepted anytime from U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of California.

Application Requirements Checklist:

Your application form (below) should include the following materials:

1. Cover letter (please include how you heard about our training program).
2. Recent curriculum vitae.
3. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts and standardized test scores (unofficial documents are acceptable).
4. Time line representing milestones to be achieved that will lead up to the filing of the dissertation (both the applicant and the dissertation advisor must sign this time line).
5. Proposed dissertation outline or prospectus.
6. Description of the proposed research during the appointment.

We also require:

• Two letters of recommendation: one letter from the dissertation adviser and one other letter from a faculty member familiar with the applicant and the proposed research.

In the application, you will be asked to share the following information:

• First and second choices for an ARG mentor. A trainee must have one ARG scientist as a mentor, but we will consider an Affiliate Scientist as a co-mentor. We strongly recommend that you make contact with the potential mentors before submitting your application. If you are unsure about who would be the best fit, please reach out to Kwinoja Kapiteni.
• Racial/ethnic minorities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. For NIH-reporting purposes, we ask that you please describe whether you are part of any under-represented groups as defined by NIH here: https://extramural-diversity.nih.gov/diversity-matters

Before submitting your application, please read the Training Overview page and contact Kwinoja Kapiteni with any questions.