Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share a wonderful opportunity for our faculty. Every five years, UC Davis has the opportunity to award two MacArthur Foundation UC Endowed Chair appointments, thanks to a generous fund established at UC in 1981. Each campus is permitted to determine the focus of the chairs, and we have selected two Grand Challenges pillars that are vital to the health and wellbeing of humans, animals, and our planet: Climate Solutions and Food Sustainability. 

The five-year, nonrenewable endowed chair appointments in Climate Solutions and Food Sustainability will be awarded beginning July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2032. The chairs will receive approximately $65,000 annually over five years to support engagement in distinguished research, teaching, and service.

Requirements to apply

Our world-class researchers in a variety of disciplines are working to solve Earth’s most wicked problems together. Therefore, the MacArthur Foundation UC Endowed Chairs may be selected from any UC Davis department, college, or school. Applicants must fulfill the following title/rank requirements: 

• Academic Senate member at the level of associate or full professor, or
• Associate or full professor of Cooperative Extension

Candidates must demonstrate distinguished scholarship and national or international recognition in either Climate Solutions or Food Sustainability. In addition to an updated CV, applicants must submit a two-page proposal outlining how the endowed chair funding will support meaningful contributions to their field. A template for the proposal is available for download in the UC Recruit listing.

Recruitment for the MacArthur Foundation UC Endowed Chairs will be conducted by the Office of the Provost and a Recruitment Advisory Committee composed of faculty. Interviews will be conducted in the fall and winter with chairs selected in early 2027. 

All applicant materials must be submitted by October 30, 2026. 

You can learn more online by visiting the job postings for the Climate Solutions and Food Sustainability endowed chair positions. 
Thank you for your excellent work and for contributing in meaningful ways to our teaching, research, and service mission.

All the best,
Mary

Mary Croughan
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor