Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program

The CSU Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) is the largest opportunity of its kind in the U.S. The goal of this program is to increase the number of faculty with the qualifications and skills needed to teach the diverse students of the CSU. This program prepares doctoral students for CSU faculty positions by providing financial support, mentorship by CSU faculty, professional development, and grant resources. Interested students can apply directly to the Chancellor’s Office. The CSUN Campus Coordinator is also available to provide feedback on applications for applicants applying with a CSUN Faculty Mentor. 

2026-2027 application Due Date to the CO's Office: Monday, February 16, 2026, 11:59 pm

What CDIP Provides:

  • You will be mentored by a CSU faculty mentor in preparation for the CSU job market.  You and your mentor will tailor your Collaborative Plan to include activities that prepare you in terms of teaching, research, and service for the CSU.
  • Professional development workshops and networking opportunities are organized by the Chancellor's Office.
  • Small grants are available to support travel to conferences, research, and dissertation writing.
  • Doctoral Education Support Grant (up to $2500 each year).
  • Conference Travel Award (up to $1500 twice a year).
  • Dissertation Award (up to $5000 one time).
    Note: Awards are granted competitively, subject to budget availability.
  • Loans of up to $30,000 are available and are forgiven after full-time employment or ten years of part-time employment in the CSU.

Learn more by visiting the CO’s website.

Eligibility 

  • New or continuing full-time doctoral students currently enrolled in an accredited program in the U.S.
  • Undergraduate and master's-level graduate students in the process of applying to accredited doctoral programs in the U.S. (To receive a fellowship, applicants must secure admission to a doctoral program by May 31st).
  • Students enrolled full-time in doctoral programs who hold full-time or part-time lecturer appointments in the CSU are eligible to apply.
  • Applicants must identify a tenured/tenure-track CSU faculty member to serve as mentor.
  • If you are enrolled in a professional doctoral program (e.g., PsyD, EdD) or an online doctoral program, we encourage you to contact our office or attend one of the Chancellor’s Office workshops (see the accordion below for registration details). Please note that eligibility may depend on whether your professional degree prepares you for a tenure-track faculty career and equips you to teach in a comprehensive university system such as the CSU. 

Not Eligible

  • Probationary and tenured faculty members in the CSU are not eligible, regardless of their status in a doctoral program.
     

How to Apply
Before starting your application, please visit the Chancellor’s Office website to review the Application Components, Selection Criteria, and Submission Information. Doing so will help ensure you understand all requirements and submit a complete application.

Want to learn more about this program and speak with someone from the Chancellor's Office? Select Info session to register for an upcoming workshop.

January 22, 2026 | 3pm-4pm 

January 29, 2026 | 3pm-4pm 

February 2, 2026 | 10am-11am

February 9, 2026 | 10am-11am

NOTE: If you register for an info session we will send you the recording of the meeting. Meetings are Pacific Time.

Interested in receiving feedback on your Statement of Qualifications and Collaborative Plan before submitting them to the Chancellor’s Office? Students may submit both documents for feedback to gradcenter@csun.edu after they have been approved by their Faculty Mentor.

Corie Mesa Romero 
Doctoral Program: Writing and Rhetoric Studies      
Campus: Northeastern University     
CSU Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Lee           
 

Kyle Moreno 
Doctoral Program: Education
Campus: University of Southern California   
CSU Faculty Sponsor: Gabriela Chavira         
 

Rosalia Rojas 
Doctoral Program: Child Study and Human Development   
Campus: Tufts University       
CSU Faculty Sponsor: Rika Meyer      
 

Maseri Schultz          
Doctoral Program: English     
Campus: University of Oregon          
CSU Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Lee    
 

Vidya Venkatesan     
Doctoral Program: Physics and Astronomy   
Campus: University of California, Irvine        
CSU Faculty Sponsor: Cristina Cadavid         

Updated 1/29/2024


I am in my third year of a doctoral program. Can I still apply?
Yes! You can apply during any year of your doctoral program.


I am currently applying to doctoral programs while I am applying to CDIP. What happens if I am not admitted to a doctoral program?
If you are not admitted to a doctoral program, then you won’t be admitted to CDIP. You can submit your application again next year.


I am undocumented or an international student. Can I apply?
Yes. If you have questions specific to your situation, please contact the campus coordinator and she can answer your questions by phone, zoom, or in person.


I am in a professional doctoral degree program, such as an EdD or PsyD, or I am in an online doctoral program. Can I apply?
It depends. Most of these programs will not be eligible. As the CDIP website states, “Applicants in a professional doctoral and/or online program may apply to the CDIP only if they plan to pursue a tenure-track instructional faculty position and their doctoral program's mission explicitly includes preparation and training of future university faculty members. Evidence of the latter must be provided by applicant.” What we ask is that you closely read the website of your doctoral program to see if they state preparation/training of future faculty members as part of their mission. If you are enrolled in one of these programs, reach out to our office at gradcenter@csun.edu. Send her the language you think helps to make the case for your program (with links to their website). She will help you vet the program or will ask the Chancellor’s Office to approve if necessary. Even if approved by the CO, we recommend you have a letter writer from that program directly write about the program’s track record in preparing future tenure-track faculty.


I am enrolled in CSUN’s EdD program. Can I apply?
Unfortunately, no. As the CDIP website states, “CSU EdD programs were established for the purpose of preparing administrative leaders for the California public elementary and secondary schools and community colleges (California Education Code 66040.3). Therefore, applicants enrolled in or applying to CSU EdD programs are not eligible.”


I am a lecturer at CSUN. Can I apply?
Lecturers are encouraged to apply! The CDIP is the strongest pipeline for CSU lecturers who aspire to tenure-track positions, and 25% of spots within the CDIP are reserved for current lecturers. 


I am in a PhD program, but I do not want to be faculty. Can I still apply?
No, the CDIP is intended for PhD students who want to become tenure-track faculty in the CSU.

My faculty mentor is planning to retire in a couple years. Can they still serve as my mentor?
Yes—but they need to clearly state in their letter that they intend to continue to mentor you, even after retirement. The same goes for a faculty member who will be taking a leave or sabbatical. You may want to talk honestly with the faculty member about whether they plan to remain engaged in campus life once retired—you want to select a mentor who can help you make connections and gain opportunities.


Can a lecturer serve as my faculty mentor?
No, your faculty mentor must be a tenure-track faculty, ideally in the field in which you plan to hit the CSU job market.


What is meant by priority being given to areas of greatest need?
Because this program is intended to support doctoral students in preparing for a career in the CSU, priority is given to candidates who come from fields aligned with CSU hiring projections. As the CDIP website states, “Primary consideration will be given to candidates whose proposed area of study falls where CSU campuses anticipate the greatest difficulty in filling potential future instructional faculty positions.”


What happens if I switch PhD programs?
If you switch PhD programs, we seek approval from the Chancellor’s Office, and you modify your Collaborative Plan to reflect your new program (if approved).


Do I have to take the loan?
No! Many students participate in CDIP without taking the loan. You can take the entire loan, part of the loan, or none at all.


My Faculty Mentor and I are having a hard time making a Collaborative Plan for four years from now—what if things change?
If needed, you will be able to modify your Collaborative Plan.


How can I demonstrate getting to know the culture and structure of the CSU in my Collaborative Plan?
Many students simply write that they will discuss these things in meetings with their mentors. Others attend system-wide or campus-wide meetings as observers.


If my PhD program is already providing professional development in terms of grant writing, conference presentations, syllabus preparation, etc., what goes in my Collaborative Plan?
Your goal with your CDIP mentor is to familiarize you with and prepare you for the context of the CSU. So, for example, your program may teach you syllabus preparation at an R1. But perhaps you could show a syllabus you create there to your CDIP mentor, who could give you feedback about how that syllabus might be modified to serve CSU students or meet syllabus expectations at CSUN.


Can my mentor access the travel funding?
If your mentor is attending a conference that is a part of your Collaborative Plan (so, you’ve stated you are attending together and will meet to debrief, you are attending together to network, you are presenting together, etc.) then they can apply for travel funding through CDIP.


My mentor has served as a mentor before, and has given me samples from past applicants. Should I use those?
You should be aware that the prompts for both the Collaborative Plan and the Statement of Qualifications have changed this year (2024). While you’ll still find some useful ideas in past samples, make sure you read the prompts this year carefully and focus your documents to answer this year’s questions.

For more information, please contact our office at GradCenter@csun.edu.