New this year:

• All previous Bakar Fellows are now eligible to apply again (see requirements under Eligibility).
• Applications for proof-of-concept projects related to climate solutions will also be considered for the AIC-Bakar Awards.

For all STEM+ areas, including projects related to climate, the Bakar Award program accepts proposals through single or joint applications. 

• For UC Berkeley Faculty we accept applications as single or joint proposals. We will award up to eight awards of $100,000/year. Each PI (whether applying solo or jointly) will receive $100/year for three years. 
• For UC Berkeley and UCSF Faculty the Program will award up to three awards for three years for collaborative research projects.  There are two options to apply under a UC Berkeley-UCSF  joint proposal:

1. Co-PIs (one from each campus) submit one application for a joint project and if selected, Co-PIs each receive $100,000/year for three years. 
2. UCSF PI submits a project proposal that is in collaboration with a currently funded Berkeley Bakar Faculty Fellow, including Spark Award cohorts 2022 2023, 2024 and Bakar Prize Fellows from 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. If selected, the new UCSF Co-PI will receive $100,000/year for three years.

In addition, for UC Berkeley proposals that are related to climate, applications will also be considered for the AIC-Bakar Awards.  Up to two selected projects will receive $100,000/year for three years. Please see the Our Awards page to learn more about this program.

This is a two-phase proposal process.  From the first round of submissions, the top applications will be selected as finalists and invited to present to the Bakar Fellows Advisory Board on Monday, April 21st, 2025.

Complete the requested information using the application form here and upload the following documents as PDFs.

• Project Proposal (see length limit below)
• CV (2-page format)
• Brief Budget (Note that award funding may not be used to support faculty salaries, stipends or teaching relief). Larger equipment purchases (>$10K/item) will require additional justification and approval.

For Berkeley PIs:  Complete PI information and upload the proposal in the UC Berkeley Project box, a CV and a brief budget.

For joint UC Berkeley-UCSF co-PIs submitting a new collaborative project: Complete PI information for both PIs, and upload the proposal under the Joint UC Berkeley-UCSF Project box, a CV for each PI in the Current CV box, and a brief budget showing how funds will be spent at each campus (these are gift funds not requiring overhead).

For new UCSF PIs proposing a collaboration with an existing Berkeley Bakar Fellow: Complete PI information for both PIs and upload the proposal covering the new UCSF project in the Berkeley-UCSF Project Box, a CV for the UCSF PI and a brief budget describing how funds will be spent at UCSF (these are gift funds not requiring overhead).

Ensure that uploaded PDF documents indicate your name and the document type in the title, e.g., ‘LastName_FirstName_ProjectDescription’.  Prepare all required documents and then complete the application and uploads in one session since you will not be able to return to your application to make changes/updates. If for some reason you need to modify your application, you will need to email bakarfellows@berkeley.edu.

Using language suitable for a well-informed but broad audience, please address the following points in a 3-page proposal (1,000 word limit, 3 pages needs to include any figures and references):

1. What is the problem you are solving or the question you are answering?
2. What is the advantage of your solution?
3. Who will benefit from your innovation?
4. What is your plan and timeline for commercialization of your innovation?
5. Describe where your project is in the pipeline of basic science to commercialization (you may find this TRL scale useful to reference where you’ll be in YR1 vs. YR3).
6. How will this funding facilitate achievement of your goals?
7. Identify a graduate student, postdoctoral scholar or project scientist/researcher who will work with you on your proposed project.

Using language suitable for a well-informed but broad audience, please address the following points in a 3-page proposal (1,000 word limit, 3 pages needs to include any figures and references):

1. What is the problem you are solving or the question you are answering?
2. What is the advantage of your solution?
3. Who will benefit from your innovation?
4. What is your plan and timeline for commercialization of your innovation?
5. Describe how the two research teams will each contribute to the project to facilitate achievement of your goals?
6. Identify a graduate student, postdoctoral scholar or project scientist/researcher who will work with you on your proposed project.

For Berkeley projects, all UC Berkeley faculty members of the academic senate are eligible to apply. For collaborative projects, all UCSF members of the academic senate are eligible to apply with an eligible Berkeley faculty member. For joint projects “option b”, eligible current Bakar Fellows are from Spark Award cohorts 2022 2023, 2024 and Bakar Prize Fellows from 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

For previous UC Berkeley Bakar Fellows, faculty can apply for a new project if their previous project was completed in a satisfactory manner.  This means there is no balance or overdrafts on the award, all reports were submitted when requested, PIs were active participants in Bakar Fellows sponsored events, the project resulted in IP filing(s), licensing activity and/or significant publications, and the new project is distinct from the previously funded project. 

If you have any questions, please contact bakarfellows@berkeley.edu.