New UC-Wide Endowment

On this blog, we always like to highlight gifts that support research, students, and teaching as opposed to brick-and-mortar structures.

From UCOP comes this news, particularly timely during a period of budget crisis and research interruption:

Hellman Fellows Program and UC announce historic $125 million commitment to junior faculty research

UC Office of the President
June 23, 2020

The Hellman Fellows Program and the University of California announced today (June 23) a plan to permanently support the Hellman Fellows Program on all 10 campuses in the UC system. With the establishment of this endowment, the Hellman Fellows Program will have committed a total of $125 million to support research for outstanding early-career faculty at all 10 UC campuses. The endowment will provide protected streams of funding in perpetuity through the creation of the Society of Hellman Fellows.

The gift will fund endowments at each campus, with the universities each administering the program. Fellowships are open to a broad range of academic disciplines across all fields, including the arts and humanities, social sciences and STEM. Fellowships can range from $10,000 to $65,000, and many former fellows have gone on to become department chairs, award-winning researchers, and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipients.

By creating endowments at each UC location, the Hellman Fellows Program gives flexibility to each campus in how the awards are directed and managed, building on the program’s tradition of local control while honoring the intent of the founders. Many campuses have already sought additional or matching gifts that will allow them to expand and reach more early-career faculty members over time.

“My parents, Warren and Chris Hellman, used to say that creating the Hellman Fellows Program was one of the best things our family ever did,” said Frances Hellman, president of the Hellman Fellows Fund. “Having had the opportunity to support over 1,900 faculty over the years, I enthusiastically agree. Their discoveries, commitment to their work, and great potential continues to inspire us year after year. We are thrilled to be carrying on our father’s legacy by ensuring that the Hellman Fellows Program can exist in perpetuity throughout the University of California system.”

Since its founding in 1995, the Hellman Fellows Program has provided $125 million to fund research fellowships to early-career faculty across the UC system. With this generous new gift, the program will be able to continue in perpetuity across all campuses of the world-renowned public research institution...

Full news release at https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/hellman-fellows-program-and-uc-announce-historic-125-million-commitment-junior-faculty