The CART fellowship award includes a $33,999 stipend ($11,333 per academic quarter) and in-state tuition, fees, and health insurance. This amount is subject to increase based on the 2025-2026 graduate student cost to attend for California residents, in order to match current teaching assistantship funding. We will award one graduate student at UCSC over the 2025-2026 academic year.

We will be conducting interviews in late May, and make decisions about offers by mid-June 2025. Please contact alix.norton@ucsc.edu if you have any questions about your application.

Funding for Summer is not included in the CART fellowship award. The fellowship, including orientation and training, will start in Fall quarter.

If you are interested in summer funding, consider applying for the CART Summer Archives Workshop, a 5-day paid opportunity during the week of September 15-19, 2025.

While it can be helpful, there is no subject expertise required to participate. We ask that you have some sort of interest and/or experience in working in archives or libraries, curating exhibitions, or doing primary source research.

The CART fellowship is designed to be done in lieu of a teaching assistantship. Fellowship recipients are expected to devote 20 hours per week to CART, and not to hold teaching assistantships or other employment. During academic sessions, graduate students may not be employed in any capacity by the University beyond a maximum of fifty percent service time. The purpose of the University-wide policy is to limit the amount of time graduate students spend on University activities that do not lead directly to the successful completion of their academic programs.

We expect a commitment of 20 hours per week to CART projects and research during the fellowship.

There’s no minimum or maximum word count or page length for the letter of interest. Applicants usually write 1-2 pages, but you should write enough to express your interest in the fellowship program and how participating in CART will help you in your research, your teaching, and/or your future career plans. Your research focus can but does not need to align with the specific collections to be processed.

No. In the past we've had first year students all the way to ABD candidates who participate successfully in CART. We recommend applicants to keep their schedules in mind when applying, and make sure they have the bandwidth to participate for 20 hours per week during the full academic year. Other responsibilities such as qualifying exams tend to take up a lot of time and work; it may be best to wait a year to apply for CART if you plan to have significant commitments this upcoming year.

Not at this time. The CART Fellowship is offered as a full academic year commitment. Please consider applying for the CART Summer Archival Workshop if you're available and interested in a one-week intensive opportunity.

Most CART fellows have no prior exhibition curation experience. We look for applicants who are interested in curating an exhibition for a public audience. The fellow will be working closely with Special Collections & Archives staff throughout the year and especially during the Spring, and staff will facilitate the curation process.

Yes, starting in 2025-2026 the CART fellowship will cover in-state tuition, fees, and health insurance, as well as a $33,999 annual stipend ($11,333 per academic quarter) for the fellow. The fellowship award is funded similar to that of a teaching assistantship for the academic year and is subject to increase to match current TA rates.

Yes. You need to be currently enrolled in at least five units as a graduate student at UCSC in order to participate in the CART fellowship, be in good academic standing, and in normative time to your degree progress.

The CART fellowship offers in-state tuition, fees, and health insurance and a quarterly stipend, and is similar to other fellowships and teaching assistantships on campus. If you are selected and agree to participate as a fellow, and you are not a California resident at that time, you will be responsible for all other non-resident fees. If you haven’t yet established residency in California, consider waiting to apply until you are a resident.

The CART Fellowship award does not require work authorization, and you should be eligible for the in-state tuition included in the fellowship award if you are a California resident. Please check with the financial aid office and your division's graduate advisor to inquire about the kinds of financial aid you are eligible to receive, since individual situations may vary.

The CART fellowship is currently open only to graduate students, but we often employ undergraduate students in Special Collections & Archives to assist with public services, retrieving archival materials for researchers, and other archives-related projects. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more.