I receive many inquiries regarding research opportunities, so this page serves to answer typical questions that I receive. For more information on admissions, see also https://cee.stanford.edu/academics-admission.
If you are interested in Ph.D. opportunities, please first read the Frequently Asked Questions below for answers to some common inquiries. I don't have the capacity to review the several hundred informal inquiries per year that I receive. You are welcome to e-mail me before formally applying to our department, but include your CV and other relevant materials, and indicate in the subject line of your e-mail that you have already reviewed my website. I will do my best to read your message, but will likely not provide a personal response.
If you are working at another institution, and interested in an extended visit to my group, I am sorry that I usually do not have the capacity to work you in this arrangement, even if you are providing your own funding for the visit. If there is a compelling reason why you think I might make an exception to this policy (e.g., you or your research advisor has an ongoing collaboration with me), then please explain when you contact me.
If you are interested in postdoctoral opportunities, keep in mind that I am looking for postdocs with previous experience in a topic overlapping my research areas. If you think you would be a productive contributor to my group, please e-mail me with the subject "Postdoc inquiry – in response to your website," explain how you would contribute to my group, and describe your prior research. If you do not provide these items, I am not able to respond to your e-mail.
I hope that you will have a variety of exciting opportunities to consider for the next stage of your education (including possibly Stanford), and I wish you the best of luck in identifying a good situation.
See https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/frequently-asked-questions and https://cee.stanford.edu/academics-admission/graduate-admissions/frequently-asked-questions for university-level responses to frequently asked questions, which supercede any of my information. Below are my personal responses to some questions that arise frequently or are specific to my group.
Can you tell me more about your research and upcoming projects?
This website provides an overview of my current research and publications. Our work in the near future will closely align with these topics.
Are you looking for new students in the coming year?
Like most faculty, I am continuously searching for new Ph.D. students. I typically admit one or two students a year, but get there is very substantial competition for those positions (several hundred informal inquiries and several hundred formal applications per year). Moreover, research support depends on the decisions of external grant sponsors, which are made throughout the year. So, the number of available new Ph.D. positions evolves throughout the year.
What is it like to work in your group?
Our group expectations document will give you some idea of how our group operates.
What are you looking for in potential Ph.D. students?
Some key attributes are:
There is no single recipe for how to best demonstrate the above. Further, I will calibrate my expectations relative to your personal opportunities (which vary widely from person to person). Please use your personal statement to demonstrate your strengths and potential in these areas. Your transcripts, letters of reference, and other materials also provide context and evidence.
Are Ph.D. students provided funding?
All Ph.D. students are funded for the duration of their Ph.D. as long as they are making satisfactory progress. Funding includes all tuition costs plus a stipend for living expenses. The cost of living near Stanford is extremely high, but stipends are also higher than at most other U.S. institutions. There is limited funding available for some students entering the M.S. degree program, and funding decisions for those students are made along with admissions decisions.
The good news from this policy is that Ph.D. students will hopefully not take on a significant financial burden. The challenge is that your prospective advisor must secure substantial funding (several hundred thousand dollars for tuition and stipend support over the life of a Ph.D.) in order to make an admission offer. If you have external fellowship funding (e.g., an NSF, NDSEG, DOE, or Fulbright Fellowship), please indicate this in your application as it makes it easier for an advisor to commit to admitting you.
Is it possible to get the graduate application fee waived?
Yes, see https://graddiversity.stanford.edu/graduate-fee-waivers for more information.