2023-24 Call for Cooperative Extension Positions

The 2023-24 Call for Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Positions was announced on September 19, 2023 in the ANR Update blog. The call will identify 20 UCCE Advisor and 10 UCCE Specialist positions to be released by June 2024. UC ANR doesn’t just refill past positions, instead identifies priority positions to address the most pressing needs, including California’s emerging and future needs.

Rebuilding the UCCE footprint continues to be a priority for UC ANR to provide the expertise needed to improve the lives of all Californians consistently and significantly. The historic 2021-22 state budget increase allowed UC ANR to release over 100 UCCE academic positions to date. UC ANR also continues to pursue non-traditionally funded positions as a complementary strategy to grow the programmatic footprint. There are UC ANR resources on: how to develop co-funded positions and shared benefits of funding partnerships.

NEW Process: Link to the 2023-24 Call for Positions process flowchart with more details

Phases and deadlines at a glance - updated timeline

1. Identifying priority positions/connecting interested groups – until Jan. 19, 2024
2. Proposal co-creation and submission – by March 15, 2024
3. Program Council reviews and develops recommendations – April 2024
4. UC ANR Vice President releases positions – May/June 2024

Important Resources

• Link to CE Position Proposal Template (required)
• Link to CE Position Proposal Criteria
• Link to FAQs
• Recorded webinar about the process for Program Team Leaders and campus leadership

Submittal groups are expected to work collaboratively across the UC ANR network and seek external stakeholder input. See list below.

For CE Advisor Positions:

• County Directors work with the Research and Extension Center System in their regional teams. Link to list of County and REC Directors
• Regional teams of groups listed above prioritize 6 positions per each of the 5 regional teams (listed in process PPT linked above).

For CE Specialist Positions:

• Research and Extension Centers - at least 3 for the system
• UC Campus Provosts and/or Chancellors ~18 in total; encouraging 1 per priority idea identified by each UC ANR Program Team and that align with campus academic planning priorities

How to submit proposals:

• Regional team leads for County Directors and REC Directors: Use the Universal Review System (URS) accessed from the ANR Portal.
• UC Campus Provosts or Chancellors: Email proposals directly to UC ANR Associate Vice President of Research and Cooperative Extension, Brent Hales at Brent.Hales@ucop.edu. For any questions, please contact Brent. For more information regarding how appointments will be handled between UC ANR and UC campuses other than UCB, UCD, and UCR, there is a Memorandum of Understandingand the APM guidelines. The proposals will be added to URS by UC ANR so they appear on this web page, and display as "submitted by" Brent Hales.

UCCE Programmatic Footprint Maps: Link to maps. These maps illustrate current positions for UCCE Advisors, UCCE Specialists, other UCCE Academics, and Community Educators, as well as the UCCE Advisor and Specialist positions under-recruitment.

In November, secondary data layers were made available to provide county level data with relevant information that, when coupled with local knowledge, can help illuminate gaps/needs to inform UCCE position proposal development and future hiring.

Recording to maps overview and demo (30 minutes)

For overall process questions, contact Katherine Webb-Martinez at katherine.webb-martinez@ucop.edu or (510) 987-0029.

For questions about using the Universal Review System (URS), contact Chris Hanson at christopher.hanson@ucop.edu.

The Area Viticulture and Tree Fruit Advisor will develop and conduct a multi-county applied research and extension program focused on viticulture (wine grapes) and pomological crops (oil olives, pears, and other minor fruit crops) in Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo counties. The CE Advisor will provide leadership on critical issues including climate adaptation strategies, pest management practices, production efficiency and sustainability improvements, and labor-saving technological innovations. Qualified candidates must have a graduate degree in viticulture, pomology, or related discipline such as horticulture, plant physiology, crop science, or agroecology with relevant viticulture and/or pomology experience. A demonstrated ability in applied agricultural research and extension is required and general knowledge of crop production including soil, water, fertility, and pest management, as well as experience working with or for growers, is preferred. This position will be housed at UCCE Capitol Corridor in the Sacramento office and will report to the County Director. Work will take place in all three counties while also developing collaborative teams with other UC ANR academics, including CE specialists and advisors, AES faculty and others, to address priority issues for clientele and UC ANR.