Stanford Science Fellowships are intended for exceptional early career scientists who wish to pursue fundamental experimental and/or theoretical research in any natural science discipline. Scholars whose proposals primarily address issues in the social sciences are not eligible. Successful candidates will have a strong record of scientific achievement, clear intellectual drive to advance scientific understanding, and a commitment to engage collaboratively with a diverse community of scholars and transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Table of Content
Summary
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Benefits
- Fellows will receive an annual stipend of $98,000
- Benefits, up to $10,000 per year of supplemental funds to support research and professional development,
- Up to $2,500 in relocation expenses.
Supplemental child care assistance grants and visa expense assistance are also provided to eligible fellows.
Requirements
- Applicants must be exceptional early-career scientists who want to pursue fundamental experimental or theoretical research in a natural science discipline.
- Applicants must have earned their PhD within the last three years at the start of the fellowship.
- Applicants must have no more than two years of prior postdoctoral experience at another institution.
- Applicants should have a strong record of scientific achievement and demonstrate clear intellectual drive.
- Applicants must show a commitment to collaboration and engagement with a diverse community of scholars.
- International scholars from all nationalities are eligible to apply.
- Applicants cannot hold a paid or unpaid position at Stanford during the selection process.
- Current Stanford graduate students and postdocs are not eligible to apply.
- Prospective postdocs who will begin their Stanford appointment before March 1, 2027, are also ineligible.
- Scholars whose proposals primarily address social sciences are not eligible for this Stanford fellowship.
- International applicants must meet the applicable US visa requirements.
- H-1B employment visa holders are not eligible.
Selection Process
- All applications will be evaluated by a committee of Stanford faculty from departments across the natural sciences. Each applicant is encouraged to identify and contact potential host faculty members with whom they wish to collaborate. A Stanford Science Fellowship will not be awarded until at least one faculty member has agreed to host the applicant.
- Each fellow will participate in one or more faculty research groups. Based on review of the application materials, candidates will be invited to a Zoom interview with a panel of faculty.
- The majority of the interviews, but not necessarily all of them, occur in the first two weeks of December.
Application Documents
- Curriculum Vitae (including publications, full legal name, contact information, and (expected) date of PhD, which must be received by the start of the fellowship).
- A cover letter.
- Three letters of recommendation; one letter from the candidate’s PhD advisor is advised.
- A statement about the candidate’s career goals, relevant experience, and how the candidate would contribute to the goals of the Stanford Science Fellows Program (up to 2 pages).
- A research statement addressing the following questions (up to 2 pages. An additional page may be used for references):
- What is the research problem?
- What could be accomplished on a 3- to 5-year timescale?
- How can Stanford enable these accomplishments?
Check also:
Fairleigh Dickinson Scholarships for International Students 2026
Application Deadline
October 16, 2026How To Apply
For more information, kindly visit the Stanford webpage.
