Scholars Tobacco Advocacy and Research (STAR) Program 

Funded by the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) 
Smoke and Vape Free Scholar Initiative (SVFSI)

 

 

 

AY 2025/26 PAID SCHOLAR OPPORTUNITY ($30,000 stipend)

We are recruiting four scholars to enroll in the 2025/26 STAR program hosted by California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). STAR is a training and mentorship program focused on understanding and reducing commercial tobacco use and related illness in diverse communities throughout California! The program provides training during the academic year in tobacco research, advocacy, and outreach. Required twice monthly half day educational sessions will be hosted online from September 2025 to May 2026. Summers will focus on self-care and applied experience. Training, mentorship and educational opportunities consist of a variety of virtual and in-personal learning and practical experiences and scholars lifelong mentors and sponsors. 

Scholars must reside and/or attend school in California and must be a citizen/greencard holder/work VISA. Scholars may be at the following levels:

• Undergraduate
• Recent graduate
• Graduate or technical school student
• Those interested in going back to school

This program provides the following experiences in Tobacco Control and Prevention:

• Networking
• Access to multiple experts in the field
• Education on the harmful practices of Big Tobacco (commercial tobacco industry)
• Personal mentorship in:
  • Community Outreach and Engagement
  • Research
• End of the Year Presentations
• Training and education in:
  • Tobacco control and prevention (TCP) efforts
  • TCP Advocacy and Community Outreach and Engagement
  • Tobacco Research

 

By the end of the program, scholars will have the skills to:

Network! Successfully promote tobacco control and prevention efforts within their own communities and to a variety of diverse populations throughout California. Understand the social justice and health equity issues associated with the Tobacco Industry and related marketing practices. Know the language utilized by tobacco control and prevention as well as the Tobacco Industry. Conduct research.  

We are actively seeking applicants who are from diverse backgrounds throughout California with an interest in serving their communities by fighting the harmful impacts of the Tobacco Industry (commercial tobacco). 

Please note: No prior training or experience in tobacco control and prevention or research is required. 

Priority will be given to those who identify with a community disproportionately affected by tobacco, including but not limited to:

• First Generation College Students
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or migrant
• Community College/Transfer
• English as a second language (ESL)
• Low-Income and Low-Socioeconomic Status (SES) 
• Rural communities
• Inner city communities
• Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)
• LatinX, ChicanX, Hispanic Identifying Individuals
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer plus additional (LGBTQ+) sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) populations 
• Veterans   

Funding/Stipend: $30,000 for the academic year (with additional funding for opportunities for professional development).

Application Timeline:

• Application Open from November 2024
• Priority will be given to applicants that submit by the end of February but applications will continue to be accepted until all spots are filled
• Application review begins in March and continues on a rolling basis
• Interviews and selection from April to June 2025
• STAR Program begins September 2025