Current Students

Effective academic advising is a critical component of a successful graduate degree program. At Stanford, all matriculated graduate students are to be advised by a member of the faculty. The nature of academic advising may differ for different programs and at different stages in a degree program.

First Year Advisor

Each student will be assigned a First Year Advisor. This person is meant to serve as a resource and mentor particularly during the first year, but as long as the relationship is valuable. Students should meet with their First Year Advisor at least once per quarter, and must discuss both lab rotations and thesis lab selection prior to making a final decision. Students may request a different First Year Advisor if the relationship isn’t working out and should speak with the Program Director.

Research Mentor / Thesis Advisor

Once the student officially joins a lab advising becomes the responsibility of the student’s PI; students are also advised by their thesis committees.

Other Advising Resources

There are a number of Neuroscience faculty who serve as informal mentors to students in the program, and the Program Director also serves as an excellent resource for students as well. Students are encouraged to review the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook for more information on academic advising.

Students will receive full funding for the duration of their PhD degree. Please refer to the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures (GAP) manual (sections 7.1-7.3) for general information on Graduate Financial Support.

The Neurosciences program, in conjunction with the School of Medicine Office of Graduate Education, provides support for Biosciences graduate students in Years 1-4 of their PhD careers, subject to availability of funds from the Office of Graduate Education. This funding is contingent upon students being in good standing with the program. Funding after Year 4 will be provided by fellowships procured by the student or by the student’s mentor.

Fellowships

All graduate students are expected to apply for appropriate fellowships, including, but not limited to, the NSF GRFP in Years 1 and 2 and the NIH NRSA in Years 3 and 4. For more information about grants and fellowships, click here.

Travel Funding

The Neurosciences program provides first- and second-year students with $750 year in travel funds. Students may also receive travel funding from their PI. Students presenting a research paper or poster at a scientific meeting, may apply for a Biosciences Travel Grant. Some individual fellowships provide a travel allowance; consult your funding agency or award letter for more information. For more information about travel funds, click here.

Students are encouraged to develop skills specific to their career path and imperative for future job success. The Neurosciences program supports the interests, activities, and efforts of its students both within and outside research and academia.

Stanford has extensive resources to assist students with their career planning:

• Biosciences Individual Development Plan - Your Individual Development Plan (IDP) and planning meetings with your advisor are intended to help you take ownership of your training and professional development. By taking time to think intentionally about your goals and identifying resources to help you achieve them, you can create a plan with actionable steps tailored to your career of choice.
• School of Medicine Career Center - The School of Medicine Career Center provides support for the exploration of career options, development of professional skill sets, and connections to opportunities. Partnering with alumni, faculty, and experts in myriad fields, the Career Center seeks to increase awareness of and marketability for various career options.
  
• Stanford Career Development Center - The Career Development Center assists graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with career concerns and job search strategies for both academic and non-academic careers.  Services include counseling appointments, career assessments, job fairs, networking events, and meetups.  Resources available include career information online and handouts, publications, web-based resources, Career Resource Library, and a job/internship database.