Undergraduate Research and Independent Projects

Explore Departmental Funding

Undergraduate Research in Stanford Departments, Programs, and Research Centers

Many Stanford departments and programs sponsor an undergraduate research program that provides financial support for students to work with Stanford professors on faculty-designed research projects.  Programs generally take place over the summer, but many support research during the regular academic year as well. 

For any Departmental Program, students must apply directly to departments and programs, rather than through the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE).  For summer programs, deadlines are often in the Winter Quarter.  Program deadlines and specifics are available at the links below or via contacting the department or program directly.

Can't find a relevant department listed below? Reach out to the Student Services Officers in your department of interest to learn about ongoing research.

25-26 Programs funded by VPUE

Department/Program/Research CenterContact
Aeronautics & AstronauticsJenny Scholes
American StudiesWinni Ni
Anesthesiology - Division of Pain MedicineCorinne Jung
Anesthesiology - Perioperative & Pain MedicineMonica Vidal
Archaeology CenterKira Sal
Bill Lane Center for the American WestEsther C Conrad
Bio-Xbiox_undergrads@stanford.edu
BioengineeringMadelyn Bernstein
Bioengineering - International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) stanfordigemteam@gmail.com
Biology - 
Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Program (B-SURP)		Patricia Ayala Macias
Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE)Annie Atura
Center on Early Childhood Emily Soltero
Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) cisacevents@stanford.edu
Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA)cesta_stanford@stanford.edu
Center of Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)Kristin Chandler
Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) pacscenter@stanford.edu
Center on Poverty and Inequality (CPI)inequality@stanford.edu
Chemical Engineeringchemeng-undergrad-advising@stanford.edu
Chemistrychemistry-studentservices@stanford.edu 
Civil and Environmental EngineeringRachel Stringari
Clayman Institute for Gender Researchgender-email@stanford.edu
Communication - Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL)Jeremy Bailenson
Computer Science - Computer Undergrad Research Internships Science (CURIS)curis-mentors@cs.stanford.edu
Data Science -  Data Science Undergraduate Research Focus (DataSURF) datasciencemajor-inquiries@lists.stanford.edu
DesignSean Follmer
Developmental BiologyAlistair Boettiger
Doerr School of Sustainability - Sustainability, Engineering and Science Undergraduate Research (SESUR)Jenny Saltzman
Electrical Engineeringreu@ee.stanford.edu
Engineering Physicsphysics_surp_admin@lists.stanford.edu
Environmental Social Sciences Marisa MacAskill
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality StudiesWinni Ni
Haas Center for Public ServiceClayton Hurd
Human BiologyKatherine Preston
Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA)Benjamin Torres Sanchez
King Center on Global Developmentkingcenter_programs@stanford.edu
LinguisticsRegina Miller 
Management Science and Engineeringpmpadilla@stanford.edu
Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education InstituteDavid Lai
Materials Science and EngineeringHaoxue Yan
Maternal and Child Health Research Institute - Diversity, Respect, and Inclusion are Vital for Excellence (DRIVE)mchri-drive@stanford.edu
Mathematics - Stanford Undergraduate Research Institute in Mathematics (SURIM)surim_program@stanford.edu
Mechanical EngineeringKelly Cayabyab
Mechanical Engineering - Solar Car ProjectKelly Cayabyab
OceansTeri Hankes
Physicsphysics_surp_admin@lists.stanford.edu
Political Science and International Relations - Summer Research CollegeMargaux Leivenberg
Precourt Institute for Energy - Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER)Eylul Bilgin
Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesJason Tucciarone
PsychologyAndrea Sims
Radiology - Canary Cancer Research Education Summer Training Program (CREST)canarycrest@stanford.edu
Radiology - Radiological Sciences Laboratory (RSL)Barbara Bonini
SILICONAudrey Gao
Sociologymrosenfe@stanford.edu
Stanford Accelerator for Learning - SCALE Initiativescaleinitiative@stanford.edu
Stanford Center on Early ChildhoodEmily Caitlin Strickler
Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institutemchri-drive@stanford.edu
Symbolic Systemssymsys-sso@stanford.edu
Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS)mjrau@stanford.edu
Urban StudiesMichael Kahan 
Woods Institute for the Environment - Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR)Jen Chiu
Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliancehuman-performance@stanford.edu
Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteValerie Vargas-Zapata

Need help with your independent project?

All students should schedule a meeting with their Undergraduate Advising Director (UAD) as they write their proposal. UADs are well-versed with all VPUE Undergraduate Research grants.