APPLICATIONS CLOSED: 2023 NeURO fellowship program
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Step into the world of neuroscience research with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute's Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Opportunity (NeURO) fellowship program.
Scientific laboratories can feel like a foreign world, with their own language of specialized vocabulary and cutting-edge techniques — but they are exciting opportunities for discovery for anybody with dedication, curiosity and creativity. The NeURO fellowship program supports you as you join a research lab to help advance our understanding of how the brain works (and why it sometimes doesn't). No experience is necessary, just a spirit of exploration and a desire to work hard!
Summer 2021 NeURO fellow Samrat Thapa with mentor Dr. Jongwhi Park of the Petrisch lab discussing research in the Stanford Neurosciences Building. Photo by Avery Krieger.
Summer 2021 NeURO-CC fellow Moremi Mabogunje and faculty mentor Lauren O’ Connell handle a Dyeing Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) in the Laboratory of Organismal Biology. Photo by Andrew Broadhead.
Students who do not have previous laboratory experience and students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields are particularly encouraged to apply. This program is currently available to Stanford undergraduates only; learn more about our pilot program for community college students.
NeURO program elements
NeURO fellows will:
- Receive part-time mentorship in their host research lab during spring quarter
- Receive a 10-week experiential learning fellowship for full-time research in summer quarter. Use the Application and Eligibility link for more information about funding.
- Participate in spring and summer workshops and community building.
- Join a wonderful community of students sharing your interest in exploring neuroscience!
NeURO Fellowship
Applications for the 2023 cohort are CLOSED
Students must apply in collaboration with a faculty member who welcomes the applicant to join their lab; prospective applicants who have not yet found a lab are encouraged to explore our directory of undergraduate neuroscience research opportunities, and to contact labs of interest to them.
Have questions about the program or application process that aren't answered in the webpage below? Check out our FAQ.
Summer 2021 NeURO fellow Temiloluwa "Temi" Babalola studies the genetics of Parkinson's disease with graduate student mentor Cindy Lin in the lab of Monther Abu-Remaileh.
Other Undergraduate research opportunities
Students are encouraged to explore the wide variety of neuroscience research opportunities available on campus, including those posted on our Undergraduate Neuroscience Research Opportunities page.
Need help reaching out to labs? Check out our resources page.
Reflections on the NeURO experience
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
Stanford Undergraduate Neuroscience Society (SUNS) members celebrate with Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Director Bill Newsome at a pre-pandemic institute picnic.
2022 NeURO Fellowship Program
2022 NeURO Fellows got to know each other at the Stanford Neurosciences Building in April 2022. Photo by Jill Wentzell.
Our 2022 Fellows celebrated the completion of their research projects our annual NeURO poster session:
