Advancing the status of women through financial support in the final phase of their doctoral programs.

Colleges/Universities

Fellowship Grants are awarded to women in the final phase of their doctoral programs attending institutions of higher learning within the bounds of Founder Region.
This area includes: the Northern California counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Sonoma;
 the State of Hawaii; the U. S. Territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; the Republic of Palau.
Below are the colleges, universities and other institutions located in Founder Region.

Cal State East Bay

Cal State East Bay has campuses in Hayward and Concord, as well as a professional center in downtown Oakland. Cal State East Bay is home to one of the most diverse student populations on the U.S. mainland. The university was founded in 1957 as "The State College for Alameda County."

Doctorate Programs:
Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice Program

Dominican University of California

Founded in 1890, Dominican University of California is an independent institution offering more than 60 majors, minors and concentrations. Over our 130 years of preparing students for fulfilling professional and personal lives, we’ve earned a reputation for excellence in academics, research, outreach and community involvement. We are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, in beautiful Marin County, California.

Doctorate Programs:
Art Therapy
Occupational Therapy

Graduate Theological Union

The GTU is the most comprehensive center for the graduate study of religion in North America, located in Berkeley, California. With a focus on interreligious and interdisciplinary perspectives, GTU faculty and students engage the world’s great religions and wisdom traditions in contemporary contexts. The GTU educates innovative leaders for the academy, religious organizations, and the nonprofit sector, equipping scholars to embody the critical thinking, ethical frameworks, compassionate values, and spiritual foundations essential to building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Doctorate Programs: Students entering the doctoral program can choose their fields of study from among more than thirty concentrations grouped into four interdisciplinary departments.
  • Sacred Texts and their Interpretation
  • Historical and Cultural Studies of Religion
  • Theology & Ethics
  • Religion & Practice

Life Chiropractic College West 

At its core, Life West empowers transformation by offering its students a path to help create a brighter future for humanity. We believe that an outstanding education provides resources and generates opportunities far beyond the classroom experience. Our mission is to support the full career lifecycle, from the classroom to retirement, and help you leave a mark on the world through chiropractic.

Doctorate Programs:
Doctor of Chiropractic

Mills College at Northeastern University 

 Mills College at Northeastern carries forward Mills’ reputation as a leading liberal arts college, with expertise in equity, social justice, and women’s leadership, as well as longstanding ties with the Oakland community. Mills College at Northeastern is committed to sustaining and extending its historic focus on elevating women leaders and preparing and empowering students—especially people of color and first-generation students—for lives of meaning and impact.
 
Doctorate Programs:
Doctor of Education (EdD)

Saint Mary's College

Founded in 1863, Saint Mary’s is rooted in inclusive excellence and community. Today, the College is proud to have over 3,600 Gaels across 43 majors, and 56,000 living alumni, all purposefully creative and grounded in Lasallian devotion to social justice. Our beautiful Bay Area campus is nestled in Moraga hills, just 23 miles east of San Francisco.
 
Doctorate Programs:
Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA)
Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D)

Samuel Merritt University  

Samuel Merritt University delivers a high-quality health sciences education with a focus on compassion and community engagement. Our students become skilled and caring professionals motivated to improve health outcomes and increase access to care. SMU is committed to serving Oakland, the San Francisco Peninsula, Sacramento, and Central California by partnering with local nonprofits, schools, clinics, and faith-based organizations.  
Doctorate Programs: 
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Anesthesia
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Psychiatric Mental Health
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy

San Francisco Theological Seminary

Rooted in the Bay Area for over 150 years, our serene Marin campus lies nestled in the hills of San Anselmo—a quaint, historic town just 15 miles north of San Francisco. Our Marin campus is home to the School of Business & Society, the Graduate School of Theology, and Event Services on this majestic campus famous for its "castles on the hill" and natural beauty. The Graduate School of Theology (GST) prepares students for deep theological engagement, transformational impact, and active leadership in public life. It is the result of a merger between San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) and the University of Redlands, with a shared commitment to core values and academic excellence.

Doctorate Programs: 
  • Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Sanville Institute 

The Sanville Institute for Clinical Social Work and Phycotherapy is an all-volunteer, non-profit educational organization dedicated to deepening the practice and values of the social work profession among practitioners and the public they serve. We believe the skills and energy of clinical social workers are a powerful, creative force for social justice and human dignity. From 1974 – 2018 we operated a state-approved graduate program in California, offering a PhD in clinical social work.

Doctorate Programs: 
Clinical Social Work

Saybrook University  

Saybrook University offers M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. graduate degrees through ten cohesive departments focused on specific disciplines and career outcomes. Students can earn their degree through our hybrid educational program, which combines online graduate education with residential learning, allowing you to integrate your studies with your busy professional and personal lives. Located in Oakland, California.
Doctorate Programs:
  • Business Administration
  • Leadership and Management
  • Humanistic and Clinical Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Counseling
  • Mind-Body Medicine
  • Integrative and Functional Nutrition
  • Integrative Wellness Coaching
  • Integrative Social Work
  • Transformative Social Change

Touro University California  

Established in 1997, Touro University California, located on Mare Island, offers graduate degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, nursing, public health and education. The mission of Touro University is to educate caring professionals to serve, to lead and to teach. The TUC learning experience is student-centered, enriched by focused research and scholarship, and prepares professionals for rewarding lives in service to others both locally and around the globe.

Doctorate Programs:
Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California was founded in 1868, born out of a vision in the State Constitution of a university that would "contribute even more than California's gold to the glory and happiness of advancing generations." The campus colors of blue and gold were chosen in 1873 - blue for the California sky and ocean and for the Yale graduates who helped establish the university, gold for the "Golden State." The women of the classes suggested using both colors.
Doctorate Programs:
African American Studies
Agriculture
Ancient History
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics
Architecture
Astrophysics
Biology
Biophysics
Business Administration
Chemistry
City/Regional Planning
Civil Engineering

Biology
Computer Science
Demoghraphy
Earth & Planetary Sciences
Economics
Education
Electrical Engineering
Endocrinology
English
Entomology
Environmental Health Sciences
Epidemiology
Ethnic Studies

Film & Media
Geography
History
Industrial Engineering
infectious Diseases
Kinesiology
Law
Linguistics
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medicine

Microbiology
Molecular Biosciences
Music
Natural Sciences
Neuroscience
Nuclear Engineering
Nursing
Nutritional Sciences
Oceans & Resource Engineering
Oceanography
Optometry
Philosophy
Physics
Plant Biology
Political Science
Psychology
Public Health
Public Policy
Sociology
Social Welfare
Statistics
Sciences
Vision Science
etc...

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawai‘i (UH) is a postsecondary education system composed of 10 campuses throughout the 50th state. In addition to the flagship campus at Manoa, the UH system includes UH Hilo, a four-year campus located on the island of Hawai‘i, and UH West O‘ahu, a four-year campus located on the leeward side of O‘ahu.
Doctorate Programs:
American Studies
Anthropology
Architecture
Astronomy
Atmospheric Sciences
Biology
Botony
Business Administration
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Computer Science
Earth & Planetary Sciences
Economics
Education
Electrical Engineering
English
Entomology
Epidemiology
Geography
History
Kinesiology
Linguistics
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medicine
Microbiology
Molecular Biosciences
Music
Natural Sciences
Nursing
Nutritional Sciences
Oceans & Resource Engineering
Oceanography
Philosophy
Psychology
Public Health
Theatre
Social Welfare
Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences
Urban & Regional Planning
Zoology
etc...

The Wright Institute  

The Wright Institute is a graduate school of psychology located in Berkeley, California, that integrates coursework with practical training from day one. The Wright Institute was founded in 1968 by the distinguished psychologist Nevitt Sanford, a pioneer in the integration of social issues and clinical psychology.  His developmental approach and emphasis on the possibilities of lifelong learning form a key part of the foundation on which the Wright's educational programs are built.

Doctorate Programs:
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology   

UMass Global - Fairfield

UMass Global is a fully accredited, private, nonprofit university designed for working adults seeking to improve their careers through education. With many programs offered online as well as on-campus at our 25+ locations, UMass Global is here to help you reach your educational goals. University of Massachusetts Global offers two professional doctorate programs – the Ed.D.and DNP – designed to support your career in health care, education or other kinds of leadership.  

Doctorate Programs:
Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D)
BSN to DNP in Family Across the Lifespan
BSN to DNP in Psychiatric and Mental Health
Post-Masters to DNP