Financial Support

Students will receive full funding for the duration of their PhD degree. The Neurosciences program, in conjunction with the School of Medicine Office of Graduate Education, provides support for students in the first four years of their PhD careers. All Neuroscience program students are expected to apply for appropriate fellowships. Our students have a high rate of success with grant applications; the most common fellowships are NSF, NRSA, and NDSEG, though there are many other types of funding for which one may apply.

For general information on Graduate Financial Support, please refer to the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures (GAP) manual.

Funds for conference travel is also available; details are provided below.

Fellowships

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

All students in the Neuroscience program who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents are expected to apply for NSF funding in their first and/or second year. The application period opens in August, with applications due in early November. Workshops will be hosted early in the fall quarter by the Neurosciences program and the University (typically SBSA – http://sbsa.stanford.edu) to help students prepare and submit a strong NSF application. Look for emails announcing upcoming workshops; it is strongly recommended that students take advantage of these resources.

NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)

All students in the Neuroscience program who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents are expected to apply for NSF funding in their third and/or fourth year. Applications are accepted in August, December, and April. Once you decide when you will submit an application, follow these steps:

Notify the Neuroscience program administrators of your intent to apply
Register for a mandatory application training session here
Contact Debra Porzio and Jessica Jones in the RMG office to let them know when you intend to submit your application.
Reference the Neurosciences Program - not your PI’s department - throughout the application and on any associated documents. The NRSA will be managed by the Neurosciences program, and not the administration of your PI’s department. Be sure to make Debra and Jessica aware of this as well.

There is a (required) campus-led workshop to teach you how to complete the various sections of the application; look for announcements for workshops on “How to Apply for an NRSA” starting about 2-3 months prior to each submission deadline.

The Neurosciences program hosts meetings with applicants and past awardees, and it is strongly recommended that students take advantage of these resources. Program administrators can provide you with the budget figures necessary for your application.

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.
Contact the program administrators as soon as you know you would like to take a trip so they can help ensure you meet all the purchasing, funding, and reimbursement requirements before you make any purchases, and can facilitate your use of the program's purchasing and travel cards when appropriate.
Refer to the Neuroscience Program Handbook for specific instructions on how to (and how not to) make travel-related purchases, and what is required in order to request reimbursement for allowable expenses.