CSU AND UC PROPOSAL WRITING RETREAT FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE FACULTY

May 5–8, 2026
UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference Center

ABOUT THE RETREAT

Social science faculty from any CSU and UC campus are invited to apply to participate in a 3-day, in-person grant writing retreat designed to provide focused writing time, expert mentorship, and a supportive peer community for developing competitive external funding proposals.

This retreat is intended for faculty who are actively preparing a proposal for submission to a federal agency, foundation, or other external sponsor and who would benefit from structured writing time and targeted feedback.

RETREAT GOALS

Participants will:

• Make substantial progress on a research proposal for external funding
  
• Receive individualized feedback from experienced research development mentors
  
• Build a network and community with social scientists from across the CSU and UC systems
  

The retreat emphasizes protected writing time, supplemented by short, optional workshops and one-on-one mentor consultations.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

• February 25, 2026 – Call for Applications Released
  
• March 20, 2026 – Application Deadline
  
• March 30, 2026 – Applicants Notified
  
• April 20–24, 2026 – Required Virtual Pre-Meeting Orientation (1-hour to be scheduled)
  
• May 5–8, 2026 – In-Person Writing Retreat (Lake Arrowhead)

RETREAT LOCATION & LOGISTICS

Location: Lake Arrowhead, California
Dates: May 5–8, 2026

• Lodge check-in begins at 4:00 PM on May 5
  
• The retreat program begins at 5:00 PM on May 5
  
• The retreat concludes at 11:00 AM on May 8
  
• Lodging and meals during the retreat will be provided.
  
• Participants must arrange and pay for their own transportation to and from the retreat location.

ELIGIBILITY 

• Open to ladder rank social science faculty from all CSU and UC campuses (ladder rank in a social science department and/or conducting social science research)
• Projects may be individual or collaborative. For collaborative teams, up to 3 team members can attend the retreat.
• Applicants should arrive with a clearly defined project and funding target, and have completed some preparatory work (see below)

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria: 

• Readiness to benefit from an intensive writing retreat
  
• Clarity and feasibility of the proposed project
  
• Alignment with external funding opportunities
  
• Potential for proposal submission in the near term
  

Efforts will be made to assemble a cohort representing a diversity of campuses, disciplines, and funding targets.

HOW TO APPLY

Please use the button below to sumbit your application. 

Questions about the retreat or application process may be directed to CAHSSA@research.ucsb.edu.

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation, grants #2126506, #2126575, and #2126578.

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