Undergraduate Visiting Research Interns

COVID-19 Restrictions

See Vice Provost for Graduate Education Stacey Bent's June 3 communication concerning "Updated restrictions on visitors & other nonmatriculated students in response to COVID-19."

Forms and Required Documents (for departments)

• Please fill out the ServiceNow online form.

• Visiting Researcher Undergraduate Intern Placement Plan U.S. Citizens/Registered U.S. Permanent Residents (VUI 001) (pdf) Submit this form with your ServiceNow ticket.

• Letter of invitation

• Copy of transcripts of current graduate work

• Copy of undergraduate transcript with degree conferral posted or a copy of the degree certificate, or diploma

• International applicant: a legible copy of the biographic page(s) of the passport. Accompanying dependents must also provide a legible copy of the biographic page(s) of the passport and supporting biographical information as stated in the above International Students section.

Please be sure to include the intern's full name and EMPL ID number on all correspondence about their appointment, cancellation, etc. This includes adding the name of the intern in the file name attachments with the application.

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What is an Undergraduate Visiting Research Intern?

During a summer period (June – August), enrolled undergraduate degree-seeking students at other institutions may be invited by Stanford faculty or schools to join a research laboratory as an Undergraduate Visiting Research Intern. Invitations are valid for summer term only and can begin as early as June 1, but may not exceed the 10-week summer term.

To be eligible to attend Stanford as an Undergraduate Visiting Research Intern, participants must be a currently enrolled, matriculated, degree-seeking student for at least two years at the bachelor’s level in a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association or at an international college or university of recognized standing.

Invited students must be qualified to conduct research at a level comparable to that of other Stanford undergraduates, and the research must be of benefit to Stanford as well as to the intern. Students must have completed at least two years of their undergraduate education.

Participation is contingent upon the approval of Graduate Admissions, Student and Academic Services.

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International Undergraduate Visiting Interns

Department administrators, who invite international undergraduate visiting student interns, are advised to consult the Bechtel page for visa request deadlines and processing. Graduate Admissions must receive a completed application including letter of invitation and support documents no later than April 1. No exceptions. For more information, see the Bechtel International Center website.

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Responsibilities of the Host Department

The host department is the liaison between the Undergraduate Visiting Research Intern applicant and the Graduate Admissions Office. As such, it is the department’s responsibility to gather the necessary materials, complete the form, work with the intern to develop the purpose and scope of the internship, and send the information and the request to Graduate Admissions.

• for an International Undergraduate Visiting Research Intern: Send completed State Department Form DS-7002 to Bechtel International Center
• for a U.S. Citizen or Registered Permanent Resident: Send completed Placement Plan form to Graduate Admissions, Office of the University Registrar

Upon verification of the documentation and approval, Graduate Admissions activates the student’s record in PeopleSoft SA and provides the EmplID# to the department. Visiting interns may create a SUNet ID on the first day that their appointment is effective.

If your department wants the visiting intern to have a SUNet ID earlier, the department may sponsor one using the ID number that is included in the notification from Graduate Admissions. The SUNet ID should not be sponsored prior to receiving the EmplID.  The department pays a monthly fee for this service until the appointment effective date.

Any questions from the applicant should be researched by the administrator of the host department and communicated to the applicant. After the visiting intern is approved and arrives on campus, it is the department's responsibility, as the host, to assist with any ID card issues, housing issues, etc. If University funds are to be used to cover expenses,e.g., for the intern’s health insurance, campus health service fee, stipend, at status and administrative fees, etc., the department must ascertain that the target funds allow for such expenses.

The department is responsible for notifying both Graduate Admissions, and the Bechtel International Center, if appropriate, in a timely manner if the visiting intern does not arrive on campus.

Prospective Undergraduate Visiting Research Interns should contact relevant faculty members to determine interest and feasibility of the appointment.

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Responsibilities of Graduate Admissions, Student and Academic Services

The Graduate Admissions Office reviews the application materials to determine eligibility and then approves or denies the request. If approved, Graduate Admissions establishes a student identification number (EmplID), which is emailed to the visiting student intern’s department, and then term activates the student intern for summer term.

Completed visiting intern application requests are reviewed and processed in the order in which they are received. All materials must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the starting date of the appointment. Departments hosting international visiting student interns who need visas must submit the appointment request on or before April 1.

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Contact Information for Stanford Staff/Faculty

• Susan Maher, Student and Academic Services
• smaher@stanford.edu

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