Individuals from science and engineering fields, with priority given to individuals whose affiliations and disciplinary backgrounds are most closely aligned with our teaching sites and funding sources. In 2026, our needs are skewing towards astronomy-based teaching sites in California and some other locations such as Hawai‘i, Texas, and Colorado. We are actively recruiting participants from University of California campuses and from institutions close to teaching sites, but we may be able to accommodate others, as well.
The PDP is aimed at graduate students and postdocs, who are given priority in acceptance. Graduate students are especially encouraged to apply in their 3rd+ year and before their final year of graduate school, since their schedules may be constrained by heavy course loads in their first two years, and the final year of graduate school can also be very busy.
Professionals in academic and industry positions are also welcome and play an important role in the PDP community.
The cost of PDP participation includes:
An instructional fee ($7400)
Travel, lodging and some meals for the PDP Inquiry Institute (in Monterey, CA)
Travel and lodging for the teaching experience (if teaching at a location other than a participant's home institution)
Many participants are given full or partial fee waivers and provided with travel support. Applicants may apply for fee waivers and travel support if needed.
The total cost of the PDP is dependent upon a participant's location. We have grants specifically to help participants with instructional fees and transportation costs, so if an applicant has no other means of supporting these expenses (e.g., grant, fellowship, institutional support) they can apply for support. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to find full or partial funding from other sources.
For more information on PDP expenses, see the Cost Planning step of the application
All participants are placed on a team that designs and teaches a STEM inquiry lab experience for college-level learners in a PDP affiliated program or course. These programs and courses are held at partner institutions and are planned to ensure that PDP participants have an opportunity to teach in an environment that supports innovative teaching and the piloting of a new activity. Teaching commitments are most commonly a 4-6 hour activity spread over a two-day time period, but can also be spread over one or several lab periods. When participants teach in programs, they may also have the opportunity to teach other activities, such as giving a short lecture, arranging a panel presentation, or leading small group discussions. The program does not provide salary for teaching time.
On the PDP application, participants are asked about their interests and availability, and have an opportunity to identify their preferred teaching sites. While a match is not guaranteed), the selection committee works to place selected applicants on teams that closely match their indicated preferences. Applicants should look to see what teaching opportunities are available and get in contact directly with us (isee@ucsc.edu) if they have questions. Each selected participant is usually placed on a team that will teach at a site that is close to their home institution. However, applicants will be contacted if there is an opportunity to be placed on a team outside of their region or at a site that was not indicated as one of their primary interests. Notification of acceptance into the program will include team placement, so that applicants know their team prior to confirming participation in the PDP.
On average, PDP participants spend about 90 hours total on the program: participating in a preparatory meeting with their team, the Inquiry Institute, further coached work with their team, the practical teaching experience, and debriefing (travel time is not included toward the 90 hours). It is important to remember that the PDP is designed to be a transformative experience for participants. The time spent designing and teaching one activity is a key aspect of the PDP approach to professional development, and should not be interpreted as an expectation that participants will spend this amount of time in the future when they design an activity. Some participants spend more time by choice because they become so enthusiastic, or because they choose a venue that includes more instructional time than the PDP-designed inquiry activity. For example, there are a number of one-week workshops that are excellent opportunities for extended teaching experiences.
Participants are encouraged to attend for a second, third or even fourth year, with an increasing leadership role within our community. Returning participants are strongly encouraged to become team leaders, leading a small group of participants in the design of a STEM inquiry lab experience. Partially concurrent workshops are offered to returning participants, with an emphasis on developing leadership skills. A number of discrete roles have been developed to facilitate the varied levels and interests of returning participants. Depending upon your role placement, you may gain experience in facilitating learning activities, leading a discussion, assessing learning, or other new roles that are defined each year. A substantial fraction of all PDP participants complete the cycle multiple times, and often feel their second experience is when the PDP training really solidifies. Participants also come back to maintain an active role in the PDP community, and derive many intangible benefits.
Yes. However, returning participants are strongly encouraged to lead a team if they return to the PDP. Team leaders think deeply about applying the design and teaching principles learned in the PDP, and gain practical experience in leading a small team to accomplish a project (designing and teaching an inquiry lab). We are not always able to accept all applicants who apply to lead a team, and accept some returning applicants to be a members of a team, rather than the leader. Returning applicants who do not wish to lead a team should follow the application process for new participants.