Kavli Berkeley Discovery Fellows
Training tomorrow’s scientific leaders: A bold new approach at UC Berkeley
While PhD programs excel at preparing students to conduct original research, they often fall short in equipping future scientists with the leadership skills essential for guiding teams and defining new research directions. This gap in training can leave graduates underprepared for the dynamic challenges of leading scientific innovation.
The Kavli Berkeley Discovery Fellows program is an innovative new program at the Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute (ENSI) at UC Berkeley, supported by a grant from The Kavli Foundation. The program is piloting a transformative approach to provide training in research independence for graduate students to become tomorrow’s leaders in the fields of nanoscience, energy conversion, utilization, and efficiency.
Kavli Berkeley Discovery Fellows receive leadership training, developed in collaboration with the Haas Business School, to equip them to manage, mentor, and inspire new trainees. The 9 inaugural fellows, who launched the program at ENSI during the 2025 spring semester, applied these skills by each leading teams of 2-4 undergraduate students. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, each fellow designed and directed original scientific projects, offering undergraduates a rare opportunity to contribute meaningfully to cutting-edge research.
“This experience helped me grow into a more intentional leader and shifted the way I approach research,” observed one of the fellows. “I began thinking like an advisor, not just executing tasks but also anticipating challenges and aligning team efforts with long-term goals. What makes the Hub unique is the balance it strikes: it trusts graduate students with real responsibility while providing structure and resources that are rare in most research settings.”
“This is the only program on campus today that scales access to research for undergraduates and provides an on-ramp to research independence for graduate students,” said Alessandra Lanzara, professor and Charles Kittel Chair in Physics, member of ENSI and director of the Berkeley Discovery program. “The graduate students develop skills to create and explore novel research; build and motivate teams of undergraduates, synthesize and publish results. The Undergraduates earn academic credit while participating in original research and producing tangible outcomes. Faculty gain a mechanism to explore novel interdisciplinary projects without boundaries of funding.”
The Kavli Berkeley Discovery Fellows program is more than a pilot – it is a blueprint for a campus-wide transformation in graduate education. By integrating leadership training with hands-on research experience, it aims to cultivate a new generation of scientists who are not only technically proficient but also capable and collaborative leaders.
As the program continues to evolve, it is poised to be a new model for how institutions can prepare graduate students for the multifaceted demands of pursuing scientific careers in the 21st century.
Discovery Research Hub: Kavli ENSI | Berkeley Discovery
