Application and Eligibility | NeURO

The 2024 NeURO Fellowship application closed on February 9th. 

Prospective applicants must review the eligibility and application information below.

Have questions about our program or application that aren't answered on the webpage below? 

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Eligibility

Student applicants

NeURO is open to Stanford undergraduates; students from other institutions are not eligible to apply. 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.

Students must apply in collaboration with a Faculty Advisor who welcomes the applicant to join their lab; prospective applicants who have not yet found a lab are encouraged to explore the list of Wu Tsai Neuro Faculty and to contact labs of interest to them.

NeURO fellows must agree to participate in all program elements, which include:

• 10 weeks of part-time (8-10 hours/week) research in the host lab during spring quarter
• 10 weeks of full-time (40 hrs/week) research in the host lab during the summer (end of June to end of August)
• Program orientation and summer skill-building workshops on scientific and professional development
• Program evaluations (i.e. surveys) 
• End-of-program Poster Session

Applicants must be currently enrolled (not on Leave of Absence). Students will be eligible for full-time project support only during summer quarter. "Full-time" means that the student's only major time commitment is the project; students are expected to spend 35+ hours per week over the entire 10-week quarter on the project.

Faculty Advisors

The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute highly values strong and considered mentorship for our NeURO fellows. Prospective Faculty Advisors are required to submit a Research and Mentorship Plan as a part of the student's application. Faculty are expected to identify a member of their lab that can serve as a Research Mentor for the student. Applications that don’t have the Research and Mentorship plan submitted by the deadline WILL NOT be considered for review. Students are expected to work on a research plan collaboratively with the Faculty Advisor and Research Mentor. 

Funding

NeURO fellows will receive a stipend for 10 weeks of full-time research during summer quarter. The stipend amount will be determined in accordance with guidelines released by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. The baseline stipend is $7,500. We are very aware that many students experience financial need that could impact their ability to engage in research, so NeURO fellows determined by the Financial Aid Office to have financial need will be eligible for additional funding during spring and/or summer quarter.  

Application 

Application components

In addition to basic information about the student applicant, their Faculty Advisor, and the Research Mentor, the application consists of five short questions:

1. List of biology or neuroscience courses taken, in progress or planned: Please list the biology or neuroscience-related courses you have already completed, are currently taking, or plan to take during the 2023-24 academic year. For each, include the course number, name, and status. For example: PSYC 54N - Genes, Memes and Behavior (planned for Spring 2023). A partial list of neuroscience-related courses is available on the Stanford Undergraduate Neuroscience Society website.
2. Previous research experience: Previous research experience is NOT required for NeURO applicants, in fact, students who do not have previous laboratory experience are particularly encouraged to apply! If you do have previous research experience, please briefly describe it (e.g., when you did the research and for how long, at which institution and with whom, what type of research). If you do not have previous research experience, please enter N/A. Word length: 100 - 200 words.
3. Statement of interest: Please describe why you are interested in becoming a NeURO fellow, what you hope to gain from the program, and how this experience will advance your career goals. Word length: 100 - 200 words. 
4. Diversity statement: We wish to bring together a cohort of NeURO fellows who represent the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and life experiences that exist in our community and society at large. Share something about yourself or your experiences that you find allows you to bring a unique perspective to a group. Students from groups historically marginalized from STEM fields are particularly encouraged to apply. Word length: 100 - 200 words. 
5. Project description: Describe the research project that you will carry out during the spring and summer portions of the fellowship, and how you will achieve the goals of the project. Please describe your project as if you were writing to a classmate or roommate with your academic background (i.e., write in a way that is not overly technical, and that you understand). Include in your response the answer to the following questions: What is the research question your project will try to answer? How would you approach answering this question (i.e. what methods will you be learning and applying)? What do you expect to learn with this project? Why is this research question important? Students are expected to work collaboratively with their Research Mentor and Faculty Advisor to come up with a research project in their lab. Word length: 100 - 200 words. 

In addition, the student applicant must use the application form to request support for their application from a Faculty Advisor. The Faculty Advisor will then receive an automated email asking them to complete a Research and Mentorship Plan for the applicant (note that this is NOT a letter of recommendation).

Questions?

Send questions to vvargasz@stanford.edu, with the words"NeURO Fellowship" somewhere in the subject line. 

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