The Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Opportunity (NeURO) fellowship program invites Stanford undergraduates to explore the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience.
Stepping into a scientific lab for the first time can be intimidating, with its specialized language and complicated techniques. However, research also represents an exciting opportunity to apply the concepts you've learned in class, increase your scientific knowledge, and explore research as a potential career path. With dedication, curiosity, and creativity, the lab becomes a place for growth and exploration.
The NeURO fellowship supports Stanford undergrads, particularly those with little to no previous research experience, to join a research lab and helps them develop important skills through professional development workshops and community-building events. As NeURO fellows, students help advance our Institute’s efforts to understand how the brain works in health and disease.
NeURO Fellowship applications are closed.
We welcome Stanford undergraduate students of all personal and academic backgrounds to join us to learn, collaborate, and advance our understanding of the brain. Students without previous laboratory experience and students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields are particularly encouraged to apply.
Fellowship Program Elements
The NeURO program supports fellows to do research in the spring and summer quarters. In the spring, NeURO fellows begin receiving part-time mentorship in their selected host research labs. In the summer quarter, fellows engage in research full-time (40 hrs/week).
In the summer portion of the fellowship, NeURO fellows are joined by community college students in the NeURO-CC program to participate in scientific and professional development workshops and community-building opportunities. At the end of the program, fellows share their research with scientists of the Stanford neuroscience community in a poster session.
Read about our 2023 NeURO and NeURO-CC poster session here.
NeURO Applications
Current Stanford students must apply in collaboration with a faculty member who welcomes the applicant to join their lab. Stanford freshman, sophomore and junior undergraduate students are welcome to apply, and students who do not have previous laboratory experience and or are from groups underrepresented in STEM fields are particularly encouraged to do so.
Prospective applicants who have not yet found a lab are encouraged to explore our Wu Tsai Neuro Faculty list and contact labs of interest. Need help reaching out to labs? Check out our Resources page.
Learn More
Have questions about the NeURO-CC program that aren't answered here? Check out our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) below.
NeURO program contact
Stanford undergraduates can reach out to Valerie Vargas-Zapata, Diversity Initiatives Program Coordinator, at vvargasz@stanford.edu.
"I am very grateful for the amazing opportunity to be a NeURO fellow. During the school year, I connected with inspiring peers and mentors and gained a deeper understanding of the neuroscience field and new research advancements. I also learned about research methods which I used during the summer in the lab. I was lucky to work on both neural device fabrication and design as well as neurocomputation. I discovered my interest in neurocomputation and plan to do more neurocomputation research in the future. Thank you so much for this opportunity."
— Anonymous NeURO Fellow, Summer 2021
"Being a NeURO fellow has been a truly unique learning experience because it offered me the tools to meaningfully engage in the field of neuroimaging research... to study symptom presentation of children with Autism.... In addition, the introductory courses and presentation opportunities from the NeURO program throughout this year enabled me to join a community of invaluable peers and gain access to practical knowledge of the research process. I feel that I have now gained a solid footing as a new researcher after being familiarized with these relevant techniques and vernacular; empowering me to contribute to this field for years to come despite what occupation I may pursue."
— Anonymous NeURO Fellow, Summer 2021
"As a NeURO Fellow, I was able to join my first-ever wet lab, learn the fundamentals of scientific research, practice scientific communication, and build community in my cohort. NeURO has been an incredibly rewarding experience; as a Black and queer student, being a part of a cohort of students who are similarly underrepresented in science contributed to a learning experience that was inclusive and enriching. Prior to my summer research intensive, the NeURO program equipped me with the necessary skills to meaningfully engage in research through Faculty Journal Clubs, a ‘research proposal’ assignment, and student-led presentations on specific topics in neuroscience. All of this is to say that I’ve continually felt supported, valued, and challenged throughout my time in the NeURO program. My long-term goal has long been to study medicine and become a physician, but I am now strongly considering following the pathway of a physician-scientist who devotes time to both the clinic and lab. Thank you for your support of my and my cohort’s learning –– the NeURO program is an incredibly crucial initiative that centers equity and access and has left an indelible mark on me."
— Anonymous NeURO Fellow, Summer 2021