There are several ways you can help the Astronomy Division maximize scholarly and scientific opportunities at UCLA.
Graduate/postdoctoral fellowships help recruit elite young scientific minds to the Department, attracted by financial incentives that alleviate teaching responsibilities (so that students can focus on their research) and the prestige associated with a named fellowship.
Undergraduate scholarships are awarded to students based on academic merit, financial need, or diversity. Many of the Department’s scholarships give students the opportunity to conduct research or gain lab experience during the year or over the course of the summer – a unique opportunity for undergraduates.
Named endowed chairs for faculty ensure that the Department can recruit and retain top faculty; these chairs are considered the most highly prized honors among scientists in the academic world. Recruitment and retention are indeed critically hampered by the drop in state funding, and funds for these needs are nearly impossible to augment without private investment.
Discretionary funds enrich the Division’s scientific community and ensure that the Department has sufficient resources for its most pressing needs, ranging from aiding under-represented groups in science, to making sure UCLA teaching labs are state-of-the-art.
Lab naming is a targeted way to support individual research groups, and ensure that labs have the most cutting-edge equipment and technology.
Contact Brooke Sanders, Director of Development, at 310-794-9045 or bsanders@support.ucla.edu if you have any questions about giving to the Division. We're grateful to all of you who support our teaching and research.