Stanford Impact Labs PhD Fellowship Summer 2025: Call for Applications
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Objectives
To support PhD students to work on solutions-oriented research that addresses a particular social problem under faculty mentorship and in partnership with social, public, or civic sector organizations.
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Description
Fellows engage in weekly workshops to gain resources, skills, and practical knowledge necessary to pursue partnership and solutions-oriented research.
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How to apply
Please send a completed application form by March 3, 2025 to silphdfellowship@stanford.edu with the subject line: “Summer 2025 SIL PhD Fellowship Application Submission.”
Stanford Impact Labs is accepting applications for its 2025 PhD Fellowship, an opportunity for current PhD students at Stanford. Each application should be completed jointly by the PhD student applicant and their faculty mentor and submitted by Monday, March 3, 2025.
Program Description
The SIL PhD Fellowship supports PhD students to work on solutions-oriented research that addresses a particular social problem under the mentorship of a faculty member and in partnership with organizations outside of academia.
The primary purpose of this fellowship is for the professional development of doctoral students. By engaging in weekly, in-person group workshops led by Stanford Impact Labs, fellows will gain resources, skills, and frameworks helpful in pursuing partnership- and solutions-oriented research now and in the future. Workshop topics include but are not limited to: understanding and defining social problems; identifying the role of research in solving problems; mapping pathways from science to impact; partnership and co-creation; pursuing impactful careers; and communications.
The program provides an opportunity for PhD students to join a community and network of scholars who want to use their research skills and insights to support government, nonprofit, and private sector partners in designing, testing, and scaling solutions to a particular social problem.
The program includes a $4,000 supplemental fellowship stipend.
Eligibility
Current PhD students at Stanford (who graduate later than fall 2025) may apply. This is an interdisciplinary program and PhD students in any Stanford school, department, and discipline are eligible to apply. Applications must be completed jointly by the PhD student applicant and the faculty mentor with whom the student is conducting research during the summer of 2025; however, training sessions associated with the fellowship are only for the PhD student.
Research collaboration between the PhD applicant and faculty mentor may vary by discipline: the proposed project may be part of the the PhD applicant’s dissertation, on which the faculty mentor is an advisor; the proposed project may be part of the faculty mentor’s broader research agenda, with the PhD applicant providing research assistance; or the proposed project may be a standalone project of another nature on which the faculty mentor and PhD applicant are collaborating. It does not matter the specific relationship, but we have found that the fellowship is most useful if PhD students are focused on the partnership- and solutions-oriented project for which they are applying for at least 50% of their time throughout the duration of the fellowship.
Application Criteria
Competitive applicants will be working over the summer (in at least a 50% capacity) on a research project that seeks to address a particular social problem, e.g. by designing and implementing a program or initiative, influencing policy, etc.; is under the mentorship of a Stanford faculty member; and is implemented in partnership with an organization external to Stanford (e.g. a community or nonprofit organization, or government agency) or is working toward developing partnership/s.
Competitive proposals will:
- Demonstrate a potential value-add to the doctoral student, including the collaborative research and mentoring environment in which they will be situated; and
- Illustrate a clear scope of work and potential benefits to the research team and project outcomes.
Additionally, competitive applicants will:
- Demonstrate a commitment to both scholarly research and public service; and
- Exhibit curiosity, humility, and a learning mindset.
Program Requirements
Fellows will attend 8 weekly in-person gatherings at Stanford throughout the summer quarter (June 23 - August 14, 2025) as well as optional social gatherings.
Fellows will work on their proposed research project under the mentorship of their faculty mentor, in at least a 50% capacity throughout the summer quarter.
Fellows will also have access to one-on-one coaching with Stanford Impact Labs staff.
Application Instructions and Materials
To be ensured of full consideration, please send completed application form (download application form here and complete) by March 3, 2025 to silphdfellowship@stanford.edu with the subject line: “Summer 2025 SIL PhD Fellowship Application Submission.”
Written applications will be evaluated on the application criteria listed above.
Questions? Please contact Alex Carr, Stanford Impact Labs: acarr2@stanford.edu.
You can also view this Fellowship Info Session recording from 2023. Please note that any timelines and deadlines referred to in the recording are outdated; refer instead to dates listed above for the 2025 application.