GISC Visiting Scholar and Researcher Policy


The Geographic Information Science Center at UC Berkeley accepts visiting scholars and researchers who are interested in enhancing their GIS skills and experience through full participation in projects, teaching, and other events that the center may be involved in during the stay of the scholar. The GISC will accept up to three qualified scholars per year who may participate in the center up to a year (the stay may be extended beyond a year if both the scholar and the Center agree that the extension is beneficial to both). The GISC is looking for applicants from a variety of cultures who can enrich our organization with new ideas and perspectives.

Applicants for visiting scholar or researcher status at the GIS Center must have a minimum of a Master’s degree or equivalent, and must have intermediate or advanced GIS skills. The scholar must have adequate speaking, writing and general communication skills in English that will enable him or her to teach a short course, or to give a lecture or seminar during his or her stay. At the end of the stay, the GISC will award the participant with a certificate or letter of participation.

As the appointment should be one in which the scholar gains valuable experience and skills, the scholar should expect to find his or her own funding for the duration of the stay. Currently the funding requirements are US $1600 per month for the scholar, and an additional US $500 per month for each dependant for participants who are arriving from a foreign country. Funding sources must be secured in order to obtain the documents for entering the US. During the scholar’s stay, it is possible that the center will have some paid projects from which he or she could earn extra funds, but this should not be counted on, or expected, as our funding sources vary from year to year. Currently we cannot offer a stipend payment for visiting scholars.

A person interested in applying to participate in this program should download the application and assemble the necessary documents as instructed below.
GISC Visiting Scholar and Researcher
Application Process
  • Personal Information Sheet (Form VS, download)
  • Current Curriculum Vitae
  • Copy of most recent diploma
  • Examples of GIS work completed. This work should demonstrate a variety of GIS skills
  • Essay on what you can contribute to the GISC, and what knowledge, skills, and experience you hope to gain through participation in the program (no more than 2 pages)
  • Official TOEFL score http://www.toefl.com/
  • Two academic letters of reference (originals only).
Assemble all documents and mail to the following address:

Geographic Information Science Center
GISC Visiting Scholars Program
University of California, Berkeley
412 Wurster Hall #1839
Berkeley, CA 94720-1839
USA

If your application is accepted by the Center, you will be contacted for a phone interview. We will inform you of our decision by email within two weeks of the phone interview. If accepted, the participant and the GISC will agree on the dates of the stay, and arrangements to obtain the necessary visa will be made by the GISC.

Please note that all J1 Visa holders are required to purchase and maintain health insurance. You may do this on your arrival. Failure to maintain insurance could result in the termination of your status at UC Berkeley and in the United States.

Further, the GISC reserves the right to terminate the stay of a scholar if the scholar has misrepresented him or herself in the required documents, or if the scholar fails to meet the participation agreement.