Eligibility:
The Digital Transformation of Development (DToD) Fellows Program is open to all UC Berkeley PhD and Master's students in good standing in any field, with a focus on engineering, physical sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, business, education, information and communication, or public health. Interested students are encouraged to apply early in their degree to most benefit from being a part of the DToD Fellows community. All Fellows will be eligible for special events, workshops, professional development, internship travel funds, and other DToD program elements.

DToD is a part of the larger Development Engineering program, PhD students who are also interested in the Development Engineering (DevEng) Designated Emphasis (DE), please check the box below. More info about the requirements for PhD students can be found on the DevEng DE page. 

DToD website here

Tuition and Stipend funding eligibility:
DevEng DE enrollment is required for DToD Fellows seeking stipend funding. Funded fellows must be US citizens or permanent residents, per NSF requirements. Professional Master's degrees are not elgible for the tuition and stipend but they can become fellow and benefit from programming and request travel fund for relevant internships. Select fellows who apply by the deadline are eligible to get a year of funding, including tuition, fees, and $34,000 stipend. Strong priority is given in allocating funds to students who enroll in the DE, as this demonstrates the strongest commitment to devoting the student’s graduate work to digital transformations in developing regions.

Application Process:
Before applying, interested PhD students also applying for funding are required to arrange a consultation meeting with one of the DToD Faculty Academic Advisors. Core DToD faculty list is available here: https://developmentengineering.berkeley.edu/programs/dtod/faculty/). PhD students not applying for funding are encouraged but not required to arrange a meeting. Master's students do not need to arrange a consultation meeting.

If you are interested in the Development Engineering DE, it is recommended that students also speak with the Development Engineering Director, Dr. Yael Perez: Dev.Eng@berkeley.edu

Application requirements:

1. Go over this online form to make sure you have all the necessary information for submitting your application.

2. In this online application form you will need to enter a letter of intent summarizing research interests and any educational or employment background in issues related to development economics or development engineering, and how you intend to focus your research on digital transformations of development. (~500 word limit).

3. Current UC Berkeley PhD students that are also applying for DToD funding (tuition and stipend) should provide a letter of recommendation from a member of the DToD faculty OR their graduate research advisor in their home department. The letter should be emailed to dtod-deveng@berkeley.edu. Students applying to UC Berkeley for admissions should work with their application department’s admissions office to see if they are eligible and obtain departmental approval to apply.

Note: The faculty letter could be submitted by the faculty member separately, or by you as part of your package.

4. NSF-eligible students (US citizen or permanent resident) applying for DToD Fellows' funding will check the box in this form and will need to supply information on current financial aid.

Current DToD Fellows, who did not previously receive DToD funding ($34k stipend, plus tuition and fees) and are eligible under NSF rules (US citizen or permanent resident) can apply for funding through this application form. Your letter of intent needs to include an updated statement that summarizes your research interests and how you intend to focus your research towards digital transformations of development. It should additionally describe progress you have made in the prior year towards this goal through relevant classes or professional experience (~500 word limit) and your participation in the DToD program and DevEng curriculum so far. 

For any questions, please email: dtod-deveng@berkeley.edu

NSF disclaimer: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under DGE# 2125913. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.