Are you interested in planning a lecture or getting a really great speaker to come to campus? This is your chance, and here are the funds to do it: your very own lectureship. 

About the grant program

The Charles M. and Martha Hitchcock Lectures is looking to expand and diversify its lecture offerings. The Hitchcock Lectures grants are open to graduate students and campus departments who would like funding to organize a lecture that is of a scientific or practical nature. In 1885, the Hitchcock Endowment Fund was established from a bequest made by Dr. Charles M. Hitchcock to institute a professorship at the University of California for free lectures on scientific and practical subjects.

Dr. Hitchcock, whose longstanding interest in education inspired his contribution, was a physician and served as medical director of the Pacific Coast in the United States Army Medical Corps. The Hitchcock Foundation Lectures began in 1909 and were later expanded and retitled the Charles M. and Martha Hitchcock Lectures in 1932, thanks to a generous bequest from Dr. Hitchcock’s daughter, Lillie Hitchcock Coit.

How to apply

The Hitchcock Lectures will sponsor up to two lectures per semester. The application process will be open for semesters in which funding is available.

Awardees will receive grants for up to $15,000 to bring their speaker to campus. No formal budget plan is needed from applicants at this stage.

• Spring 2024: Application closed

Program guidelines

• Applications must be submitted in advance of the event. Events that occur before the deadline for application will not be considered for funding.
• Grants can be made for up to $15,000 per lecture, comprising $5,000 for an honorarium and $10,000 for event logistics. Up to two lectures per application cycle can be selected.
• Each applicant should submit only one nomination per application cycle. If an applicant has multiple candidates they wish to nominate, we encourage them to work collaboratively with other individuals to propose suitable candidates.
• There are two application deadlines per year, and applications will not be considered off-cycle. Future application deadlines are to be determined.
• The proposed lecture topic should focus on the sciences, related fields, or practical subjects (see the Hitchcock Lectures Website for previous topics).
• Applicants are responsible for pre-vetting that, if selected, the nominee would be available to give a lecture at UC Berkeley.
• Events that are closed to the public, require an admission fee, or take place outside the UC Berkeley campus will not be considered for funding.
• Ongoing/recurring events and named lecture series are not funded by this program.
• Meetings of professional organizations that take place on the Berkeley campus will not be considered.
• Assistance from UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures can be provided as needed, and the lecture will be part of the Charles M. and Martha Hitchcock Lectures.
• Questions can be directed to Jane Fink at [email protected] or 510-643-9164.