The UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement is pleased to share the application for the 2026-2027 Valuing Open and Inclusive Conversation and Engagement (VOICE) Initiative. VOICE provides funding for UC students, staff and faculty who are interested in conducting research or coordinating programs and activities that further the Center’s mission of exploring the intersection of expression, engagement and democratic learning and considering what can be done to restore trust in the value of free speech on college campuses and within society at large.

As a VOICE awardee, you will be welcomed into a community of passionate individuals who share a common purpose of advancing the principles of the Center on their own campuses. VOICE recipients also become part of a larger UC-wide and national community of scholars, educators and activists. There are opportunities to receive leadership guidance and support from previous VOICE recipients as a new awardee.

Below are some examples of how that might be done.

• Engage in research and/or activities that promote open discourse among members of communities or participation in democracy;
• Deliver programming that addresses challenges in our current national life or discourse around past and upcoming elections; or that examines how we might strengthen and rebuild – or even reimagine – community;
• Enable conversations about peoples’ experiences and perspectives of vital social and political issues;
• Create forums for discussion about democratic processes, such as legislative advocacy or voting rights, as they relate to our social and political community;
• Offer workshops and/or symposia that focus on furthering democratic literacy and engagement.

Creativity and originality are encouraged. For inspiration, take a look at the terrific ongoing work of the 2025-26 and 2024-25 VOICE Initiative recipients. 

VOICE awards can be up to $5,000 and will be granted on a competitive basis. The Center will fund the VOICE awards; recipients will administer awarded projects in compliance with both UC policies and campus-specific guidance on the campus(es) where the projects take place.

Who is Eligible?

All current UC students, staff and faculty are eligible to receive VOICE funding as individuals or as members of a group, team, office or department. All project contributors must be UC students, faculty or staff members for the entirety of the 2026-2027 academic year. 

Current or former recipients are welcome to apply, but no project can be funded for more than three years. There is no limit to the number of individuals that can be included in a single proposal. The primary contact or author of the proposal must partner with a department on their campus or have a recharge account to receive funds.

Funding Policies

VOICE awards can be up to $5,000 and will be granted on a competitive basis. Funding is intended to cover the costs of a VOICE project, which may include supplies, advertising, room rentals, refreshments, software, stipends for speakers or research assistance. The Center will fund the VOICE awards. Recipients must administer awarded projects in compliance with both UC policies and campus-specific guidance on the campus(es) where the projects take place. Funding cannot be used for:

• Tuition;
• Conference registration fees if you are not presenting or if your proposal has not yet been accepted;
• Capital equipment (anything with a shelf life of over one year, such as computers, microphones, printers);
• A stipend for oneself.

Project Requirements

1. Quarterly Zoom Cohort Meetings: At least one person representing each selected project must be available to attend mandatory quarterly VOICE cohort (virtual) meetings. Participation in these events serves to further community-building, knowledge-sharing and network development both within and across cohorts of VOICE awardees.
2. Deliverables: Each project is expected to submit deliverables throughout the duration of the year to keep the Center updated on their project activities, which can include a final budget and photos/videos documenting the project. More details will be provided..

Application Information

Applications must be received by 11:59 pm PT on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Awardees will be notified by late August. Funding is one-time only and must be used by July 1, 2027.  Funds must be transferable to a department recharge account. If you are not part of a department or registered student organization, you will need to identify an on-campus sponsor through which funds can be disbursed.

If anyone has questions, they should reach out to freespeechcenter@uci.edu.  (Application questions marked with an * are required.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO EXPRESS INTEREST, PLEASE VISIT THIS INFO PAGE.

About the Fellowship

UC Office of the President - Graduate and Undergraduate, Equity Affairs and Institutional Research and Academic Planning - and the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement (“Center”) are excited to announce a pilot fellowship program for faculty and staff, as part of a systemwide initiative to enhance and expand the teaching of dialogue skills to our students. 

In a pluralistic community such as the University of California, dialogue is essential. It allows us to give voice to our diverse experiences, ideas and opinions, and, importantly, it helps us hear others’ voices as well. In many cases, dialogue can create avenues for the kinds of conversations and the free flow of ideas that we may not always think are possible. Through dialogue, we generate learning, growth and the ability to grapple constructively with challenging ideas. The ability to communicate across differences of perspective, identity, and viewpoint is foundational to the process of learning and teaching, as well as to creating a healthy campus climate. 

Through $5,000 awards, this fellowship supports the teaching of dialogue skills in the curricular context (e.g. a class focused on dialogue skills, incorporation of dialogue skills practice in any class), or work that supports such teaching (e.g. training for faculty and other instructors on such strategies). It prioritizes projects that not only enhance individual teaching practice, but also produce adaptable, shareable resources and approaches that can be used by other faculty and staff. Faculty and staff, including graduate student instructors, are eligible to apply. We encourage applicants from across the breadth of disciplines and campus roles and aim to create a cohort representing all UC campuses. 

The fellowship program will run from October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

Fellowship Details

This fellowship is for applicants who have prior experience teaching, facilitating, or supporting the teaching of dialogue skills in the classroom, and who are ready to build on that experience to strengthen their work and its impact. 

Successful proposals will demonstrate how their work will contribute to expanding campus capacity to teach dialogue skills, beyond a single course or context. 

Proposals may be for individually led projects, or collaborative or program-based efforts (please note that funding is per proposal regardless of the number of leads).

Examples of types of eligible projects (not an exhaustive list):

• Refining and documenting teaching strategies to intentionally infuse course curriculum with dialogue skills instruction and practice, and development of related teaching materials.
• Distilling existing strategies and materials into curricular modules for teaching dialogue skills that can be incorporated into courses ranging in subject areas and producing an adoption guide.
• Adapting and refining dialogue-teaching methods for use in a particular discipline.
• Expanding the breadth and reach of programs for providing training to Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) on teaching dialogue skills in their sections.

Fellows will support and learn from one another and from other dialogue and pedagogy experts; build relationships, resources, and programs across campuses; and help shape the systemwide initiative to support campus work and collaboration in this area.

Selected fellowship projects will be awarded $5,000.       

Fellowship Expectations

Fellows will use the first portion of the fellowship period to work on their proposal, and the second portion of the fellowship to implement it. 

Fellows will participate in monthly virtual meetings. These meetings will allow cohort members to discuss and receive support on their projects, to learn about various dialogue and pedagogy models, and to build a community of practice. Meetings will take place the first Friday of each month, 10 am to 12 pm, with the exception of our kickoff meeting, on October 16, 10 am to 12 pm. 

Fellows will also join an in-person meeting, held at or near a UC campus, towards the end of the fellowship, where fellows will have an opportunity to share their work with colleagues and University leadership. Travel and accommodations will be covered by the fellowship program (additional to the grant).

Fellows will submit a mid-process update on their progress for feedback and guidance as well as a final report.

As part of the final report, fellows will produce well-documented, shareable resources that support the teaching of dialogue skills and can be used or adapted by other instructors, staff, or programs. These materials will ultimately be shared as resources for the cohort and more generally systemwide. Deliverables should be designed with usability and transferability in mind, and should include:

• Clear description of the approach or model; 
• Materials and resources (e.g., assignments, syllabi, modules, curricula);
• Instructions for implementation, including context (course type, student population, format);
• Reflections on effectiveness, including what worked, what did not, impact and recommendations for others;
• Any assessment tools or evaluation methods used.

Fellows will connect with others at their campus that are working on the teaching of dialogue skills, for example Centers for Teaching and Learning.  

Application

Applications will open July 6 and are due August 24, 2026. If you have questions, please feel free to contact UCDialogueFellows@ucop.edu.