NSF GRFP Stanford Resources

D-CORE: The Diversity Center of Representation and Empowerment, or D-CORE, provides a space where any member of the Stanford Medicine community interested in issues of inclusion and diversity can hold meetings or just hang out and study.

• Can be reserved for events around diversity, equity, and inclusion, from group meetings to celebrations

• Staff members from across the medical campus hold office hours at the D-CORE to invite conversation on any topic.

• CAPS Connects @ D-CORE offers opportunities for Biosciences graduate students, Medical students, and PA students to meet with a counselor every Wednesday from 2:30 – 4:30 PM. This resource is intended to allow students at the med school to access short (30 minute) sessions directly on the med campus and without the potential for long wait times at CAPS at Vaden. The counselor is specially trained in issues of diversity, equity, & inclusion.

• SARA Office Hours @ D-CORE is a way for Stanford affiliates on the med campus to learn more about SARA (the Office of Sexual Assault & Relationship Abuse Education and Response at Stanford). Students can get personal and/or group consultations on responding to sexual violence or relationship abuse, learn more about available resources, and request trainings.

DARE fellowship: The DARE (Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence) Doctoral Fellowship Program awards two-year fellowships to advanced doctoral students who want to investigate and prepare for academic careers and whose presence will help diversify the professoriate.

ADVANCE summer institute: The summer before a matriculating student’s first year offers an excellent opportunity to transition to graduate school without the usual whirlwind of activity that begins in the fall. Through ADVANCE we facilitate the participants’ smooth transition into their first year, laying the foundation for a successful and rewarding graduate experience. ADVANCE evolved from a BioAIMS program piloted in 2010.

SoLID Mentorship Program: The Solidarity, Leadership, Inclusion, Diversity (SoLID) Mentorship program connects Biosciences students with faculty who can provide additional mentorship to guide and support students on issues that may be largely outside of their research, such as advocacy, diversity and inclusion, academic activism, mental health and wellness, balancing social justice work and lab productivity, stereotype threat, microaggressions, impostor syndrome, unconscious bias, among others.

• SoLID’s monthly newsletter contains links to loads of useful articles on mentoring, professional development, and diversity and inclusion. Sign up here to receive these emails!

IDEAL Dashboard: Stanford’s IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access in a Learning Environment) initiative is one of three Presidential Initiatives in the university’s long-range vision. In May of 2019, they released the first iteration of their dashboard, which shows the diversity breakdown of the school’s major populations and schools. If you’re wondering, “Is Stanford doing a better job of recruiting diverse talent?” look here to view trends over the past ten years to see how your school or population is changing over time and how much we still have to grow.

Stanford Medicine Office of Graduate Education: The OGE, which administers the Biosciences program, has many specific programs targeted at fostering diverstity, equity, and inclusion. OGE staff members including Ayodele Thomas, Monica Devlin, Bryan Thomas, Samar Fahmy, and Miranda Stratton are partnered with BioAIMS and actively support our mission.

Stanford Medicine Office of Faculty Development and Diversity: This office oversees diversity efforts across the Stanford Medical Campus. Their website offers a number of useful links, especially this list of diversity resources for graduate students.

NeuWrite West’s Inequality in STEM blog series: This blog series presents a number of the most important studies into inequality in STEM—it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to arm yourself with data you can use the next time somebody asks whether inequality is still an issue and/or how we can address it.

Activity / Community Centers:

• Asian American Activities Center

• Bechtel International Center

• Black Community Services Center

• El Centro Chicano y Latino

• Hillel at Stanford (serves the Jewish community)

• LGBT Community Resources Center

• The Markaz: Resource Center (serves the Muslim community)

• Native American Cultural Center

• Office for Religious Life

• Office for Military-Affiliated Communities

• Women’s Community Center

Diversity Works at Stanford: This website highlights diversity news and efforts across Stanford. Check out their resource directory, which is searchable by category and includes campus groups and offices serving a variety of student populations.

Graduate Student Council Diversity & Advocacy Committee (GSC DAC): The Diversity & Advocacy Committee works to support inclusion, openness and multiplicity within the Stanford community.

Stanford Graduate Diversity: This website highlights diversity efforts focusing on graduate students campus-wide.

• Prospective students: Check out their section on application and GRE fee waivers

Diversity and Access Office: The Diversity and Access Office (D&A Office) ensures University-wide compliance with federal, state and local regulations concerning non-discrimination and disability access.

Stanford Diversity & First-Gen Office: The DGen office provides campus leadership for students, faculty and staff to consciously and actively affirm intersectional identities and foster intergroup relationships. Check out their resources page.

Acts of Intolerance Protocol: This protocol outlines the guidelines for reporting and responding to acts of intolerance for students, the student affairs division and others in the Stanford community.

Non-academic grievance protocol: This grievance policy can be used in situations where a student feels they have been discriminated against based on their identity. Learn more here.

Stanford Diversity & First-Gen Office: The DGen office provides campus leadership for students, faculty and staff to consciously and actively affirm intersectional identities and foster intergroup relationships. Through research, forums, classes and workshops, we build student capacity and confidence to experience a sense of belonging and develop authentic connections with people from different backgrounds. Within this mission is a special focus on enriching the experience of first-generation and low-income college students by supporting their academic and social transitions, empowerment and community building.

• Check out their resources page

Stanford FLIP: FLIP’s mission is to build a community and sense of belonging for FLI students and supporters in order to empower FLI students and raise awareness of class issues. We recognize the diversity of the FLI identity and perspective, and we seek to foster an open and respectful campus environment by advocating on behalf of the FLI community and facilitating cross-class dialogue.

First-Gen and Low-Income Guide: The Financial Literacy FLI Guide is an informative guide created by Christopher Middleton (’16) on behalf of Mind Over Money and the Diversity and First-Gen Office to support members of the First-Generation Low-Income community as they navigate financial decisions while at Stanford.

Stanford FLI Conference: The Stanford FLI Conference intends to cultivate a space for FLI (first-generation and/or low-income) students to feel empowered in their intersectional identities. Our objectives are to build the national FLI community through collective partnerships, to create a long-term action plan to support and advocate for the national FLI community, and to focus on the narratives of multiple marginalized communities in order to create spaces for all FLI identities. Ultimately, we hope all attendees leave with a sense of belonging and a plan of advocacy within our FLI community.

Stanford oSTEM: The mission of oSTEM@Stanford is to educate and foster leadership among LGBTQA students in STEM fields by enriching their professional background, providing them with unique STEM experiences, affirming their identities, and addressing their individual needs.

Stanford GradQ: GradQ is an organization that serves graduate and professional students at Stanford University who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, or any combination thereof! We regularly host big social events like barbecues and parties, as well as lower-key shindigs like board game nights, movie nights, and a book club.

Stanford LGBTQ+ Forum: Establishing visibility is critical in advancing toward an academic environment in which LGBTQ+ students, trainees, staff, faculty, and alumni are included, valued, and recognized.

QSpot (Firetruck house, second floor): The second floor of the Firetruck House (near Tressider) is lovingly known as QSpot. This is a warm and welcoming space for the extremely diverse population of students celebrating, questioning, investigating and struggling with sexual orientation and/or gender identity. QSpot is a great place to relax, study, check email, browse books and magazines, watch films or converse with queer and allied students.

Stanford Queer Student Resources: This website collects events, resources, and opportunities related to LGBTQ+ life at Stanford. Check out their resources page.

Guide to Trans Resources at Stanford: This is a guide to resources and information pertaining to trans, non-binary, and gender questioning students at Stanford. This resource guide is a constantly evolving collaborative effort between members of the Stanford trans community, staff,and the many offices, services, programs and organizations at Stanford committed to supporting them.

Gender & Sexual Identities CAPS Connects: Gender & Sexual Identities CAPS Connects visits are one-time, 30-minute sessions held at Terra House where you can speak confidentially with a gender and sexuality-affirming CAPS clinician. These sessions can be booked via VadenPatient.

LGBTQ-Meds: As an activist and social organization, we are dedicated to raising awareness of queer health issues and promoting equal social and political rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. LGBTQ-Meds additionally serves as a support group, safe space, and social group for all medical students, graduate students, undergraduates, faculty and staff, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who are interested in queer health issues.

Women In Science & Engineering (WISE) Ventures: Stanford WISE Ventures serves as a catalyst connecting research, resources, and innovation to increase the success of women and advance equity in science, engineering, and mathematics fields, across the Stanford community. Check out their resources page.

• Check out the quarterly WISE Inspiration Network events for opportunities to hear from prominent women in science and network with Stanford women

Women’s Community Center: The WCC (Firetruck House first floor, near Tressider Union) exists to facilitate growth and engagement for Stanford students around issues of gender, equity, identity, and justice. Check out their resources page.

• The WCC host several events and initiatives especially for women in STEM.

Association for Women in Science: Stanford students have access to a free membership!

SARA Office Hours @ D-CORE is a way for Stanford affiliates on the med campus to learn more about SARA (the Office of Sexual Assault & Relationship Abuse Education and Response at Stanford). Students can get personal and/or group consultations on responding to sexual violence or relationship abuse, learn more about available resources, and request trainings.

Pregnancy Accommodation and Leave Policy for Graduate Students: Defines an Academic Accommodation Period for registered and matriculated graduate students anticipating or experiencing a birth. Provides guidance for students who wish to take a leave of absence for pregnancy, adoption or childbirth-related reasons. Defines a Lactation Accommodation policy for matriculated students and postdoctoral scholars.

• Pregnant students should contact Rebecca Jantzen in the office of the VPGE for additional guidance—she is an excellent resource and advocate.

Title IX Office: The Title IX Office collaborates with the Stanford community to stop, prevent, and remedy interpersonal violence and gender-based discrimination through education, culture change, accountability, and empowerment. We offer options and resources to all students affected by these issues and are committed to providing a fair, thorough, and prompt investigation and adjudication process.

• Title IX FAQs: Check out this list of common questions regarding Title IX, compiled by ASSU and Stanford’s Title IX office.

Stanford Biosciences Student Association (SBSA): SBSA represents graduate students from biology-related fields in the School of Medicine, the School of Humanities and Sciences, and the School of Engineering.

• Their handbook contains a bounty of useful information and links, especially for new entering graduate students. Topics range from Stanford opportunities, to housing, to finances. Check out all their resources!

Stanford Black Biosciences Organization (SBBO): SBBO seeks to build a community among Black bioscientists in the School of Medicine in conjunction with the greater Black community at Stanford.

Stanford University Postdoctoral Association (SURPAS): SURPAS is a volunteer advocacy forum with the aim of enhancing and enriching the experience of postdoctoral research fellows at Stanford. All Stanford postdocs are welcome to participate in our SURPAS events, committees, and council meetings.

Stanford Hermanas in STEM: Our main goal is to unite and build a community of support among Latina (female) graduate and postdoctoral scholars on campus.

SoLID Mentorship Program: The Solidarity, Leadership, Inclusion, Diversity (SoLID) Mentorship program connects Biosciences students with faculty who can provide additional mentorship to guide and support students on issues that may be largely outside of their research, such as advocacy, diversity and inclusion, academic activism, mental health and wellness, balancing social justice work and lab productivity, stereotype threat, microaggressions, impostor syndrome, unconscious bias, among others.

ADVANCE summer institute: The summer before a matriculating student’s first year offers an excellent opportunity to transition to graduate school without the usual whirlwind of activity that begins in the fall. Through ADVANCE we facilitate the participants’ smooth transition into their first year, laying the foundation for a successful and rewarding graduate experience. ADVANCE evolved from a BioAIMS program piloted in 2010.

Stanford Medicine Office of Graduate Education: The OGE, which administers the Biosciences program, has many specific programs targeted at fostering diverstity, equity, and inclusion. OGE staff members including Ayodele Thomas, Monica Devlin, Bryan Thomas, Samar Fahmy, and Miranda Stratton are partnered with BioAIMS and actively support our mission.

Stanford SACNAS: We are the the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Chapter at Stanford. Our mission is to foster the success of underrepresented scientists in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.

Stanford oSTEM: The mission of oSTEM@Stanford is to educate and foster leadership among LGBTQA students in STEM fields by enriching their professional background, providing them with unique STEM experiences, affirming their identities, and addressing their individual needs.

BioPeers: The Biosciences Peer Mentoring Program (BioPeers) provides free and private peer-to-peer support for the Biosciences graduate student community. BioPeers are graduate students in their second year or higher who have volunteered to help their peers cope with the feelings of stress, inadequacy, or uncertainty that are often experienced during graduate school. BioPeers are trained to provide nonjudgmental support through listening, informal counseling techniques, and campus and community referrals.

Stanford GradQ: GradQ is an organization that serves graduate and professional students at Stanford University who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, or any combination thereof! We regularly host big social events like barbecues and parties, as well as lower-key shindigs like board game nights, movie nights, and a book club.

Stanford Graduate Student Council (GSC): The Graduate Student Council (GSC) serves Stanford’s graduate student population by representing student interests in University affairs, supporting graduate student organization, and providing community events for graduate students.

Stanford Tzu Chi: We are volunteers with Tzu Chi, a humanitarian organization which has been serving communities around the world for over 50 years. The Chinese name “Tzu Chi” (慈濟) translates to English as “compassion and relief.” Stanford Tzu Ching (慈青, “compassionate youth”) is part of a global network of collegiate volunteer chapters. We are connected through our shared values of compassion, wisdom, community service, yummy vegetarian food, and great people. The motto of our Stanford chapter is: “A more thoughtful way of living.”

Stanford Native American Graduate Students (SNAGS): The diverse Native graduate and professional school student population has come to Stanford from a wide range of undergraduate institutions. Once here to pursue their masters, doctorate, professional degrees (or for a postdoctoral appointment) they span all seven schools: Business, Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Sciences, Law, or Medicine.

Stanford Awesome Science Symposium Series (LHAATDS): The Let’s Have an Awesome Time Doing Science symposium features fantastic scientists who give talks on themes that relate to the questions, “How can we improve ourselves as scientists and enrich the community around us?”

Stanford Science Policy Group: Helping connect scientists to science policy at at Stanford. Open to all undergrad, grad students, post docs, and faculty.

NeuWrite West: NeuWrite West is a group of scientists interested in writing and writers interested in science, whose mission is to make neuroscience accessible to anyone curious about the brain. We pursue this mission by publishing scientific stories that everybody can engage with, regardless of their scientific expertise, and hosting workshops to teach other scientists how to communicate their work.

Women In Science & Engineering (WISE) Ventures: Stanford WISE Ventures serves as a catalyst connecting research, resources, and innovation to increase the success of women and advance equity in science, engineering, and mathematics fields, across the Stanford community. Check out their resources page.

Stanford Science Penpals: Stanford Science Penpals connects 6th-12th graders across the U.S. to Stanford scientists. Our goal is to expose kids to diverse scientific careers, answer science questions, and share our love of science! Penpal exchanges start in September and end in June. We encourage graduate students and postdocs from all scientific disciplines to sign-up to be a penpal.

Stanford Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA): The Stanford Chapter LMSA serves to advocate for the unique health needs and interests of the Hispanic and Latin American communities through education, outreach, and service.

LGBTQ-Meds: As an activist and social organization, we are dedicated to raising awareness of queer health issues and promoting equal social and political rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. LGBTQ-Meds additionally serves as a support group, safe space, and social group for all medical students, graduate students, undergraduates, faculty and staff, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who are interested in queer health issues.

Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance (SUMMA): The goal of the Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance (SUMMA) is to increase diversity in the health professions in order to better care for underserved communities. Our annual pre-medical conference is one of the oldest on the west coast and draws hundreds of students from throughout the Bay Area.

Stanford Medical Student Association (SMSA): The Stanford Medical Student Association serves first and foremost to advocate for the student body. We function as a liaison between students, faculty, and the administration.  As a responsible custodian of student body resources, SMSA supports student groups and promotes education, community service, social well-being, and leadership.

SBSA Handbook: Contains numerous useful resources, including reviews of each type of housing option, links to useful articles on navigating grad school, fellowship opportunities, financial guidance, and more! A must-read for entering grad students.

Stanford Medicine Office of Graduate Education: The OGE, which administers the Biosciences program, has a number of resources to guide your transition to grad school and beyond, including info on requirements, career development resources, financial support resources, and wellness resources. OGE staff members including Ayodele Thomas, Monica Devlin, Bryan Thomas, Samar Fahmy, and Miranda Stratton are partnered with BioAIMS and actively support our mission.

Stanford Graduate Life Office (GLO): The Graduate Life Office (GLO) is a division of the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs. We serve the entire graduate student population at Stanford and their families. GLO deans are a source of comprehensive, impartial guidance and information related to all aspects of your life as a graduate student. Check out their resources page.

Stanford Office of the Vice Provost of Graduate Education (VPGE): VPGE opened in January 2007 to further Stanford University’s commitment to its graduate students and to excellence in graduate education. The VPGE office serves Stanford’s entire graduate student community of over 9,400 master’s, doctoral, and professional degree students in over 200 graduate degree programs within all seven Schools.

Stanford Graduate Student Council (GSC): The Graduate Student Council (GSC) serves Stanford’s graduate student population by representing student interests in University affairs, supporting graduate student organization, and providing community events for graduate students.

• All graduate students (including professional students) are can join the GSC mailing list here.

• The GSC meets every Wednesday at 6pm at the Graduate Community Center (Nairobi Room) to discuss topics that are relevant to the graduate student community. These meetings are open to the public and food is provided.

Stanford Office of the Ombuds: The Ombuds strives for fair and equitable resolution to questions, concerns, and complaints. This is an excellent first resource for attempting to resolve issues with your advisor, other members of your lab, roommates, etc. The Ombuds provides advice on conflict resolution from an unbiased perspective (i.e., they do not see it as their role to support either party, but rather to find a resolution that works for both parties) in an informal setting—if your complaint is legal in nature, they may also be able to guide you to the appropriate channels to report.

• Stanford Medicine has its own separate Office of the Ombuds, which students on the medical campus can use.

Legal Counsel Office: The ASSU Legal Counseling Office provides FREE legal advice and consultations to Stanford students, their spouses and domestic partners. The ASSU LCO is devoted to educating students so that they are informed of their rights and can cope with legal problems. Our service is on-campus, completely confidential and provided by qualified attorneys.

Student Academic Grievance Procedure: Any Stanford undergraduate or graduate student who believes that they have been subjected to an improper decision on an academic matter is entitled to file a grievance to obtain an independent review of the allegedly improper decision, followed by corrective action if appropriate.

• Learn more here

Academic Skills Coaching: Academic Skills Coaching can provide you with a personal “trainer” who can observe your strategies and techniques, suggest changes to your approach, and provide encouragement as you implement new ways of learning. Tackle common challenges like procrastination, test preparation, test anxiety, time management, and reading strategies.

Stanford Office of Science Outreach (OSO): The OSO has a good list of science outreach organizations that graduate students, undergrads, and postdocs can volunteer for.

SoLID Mentorship Program: The Solidarity, Leadership, Inclusion, Diversity (SoLID) Mentorship program connects Biosciences students with faculty who can provide additional mentorship to guide and support students on issues that may be largely outside of their research, such as advocacy, diversity and inclusion, academic activism, mental health and wellness, balancing social justice work and lab productivity, stereotype threat, microaggressions, impostor syndrome, unconscious bias, among others.

• SoLID’s monthly newsletter contains links to loads of useful articles on mentoring, professional development, and diversity and inclusion. Sign up here to receive these emails!

BioSci Careers: BioSci Careers creates a community of mentors to support the academic advancement, professional development, and career-of-choice decisions of our graduates, medical students and postdoctoral fellows. Through individualized counseling, curriculum and connections, our faculty, alumni and employers teach through their real-life stories and empower trainees to define and tell their own.

BEAM Career Center: Career educators at BEAM connect with students in appointments and meetups to help them explore career paths, identify and apply for opportunities, and cultivate personalized networks that shape their professional journey. Students are encouraged to take advantage of customized Venture Events, join industry treks in the Bay Area and around the U.S., and network with one of the 1200+ alumni in the Stanford Alumni Mentoring (SAM) program.

VPGE Professional Development: Professional skills learned in graduate school can form the basis of a great career. Together with campus partners, the VPGE office equips graduates with the leadership, management, and interpersonal skills they need to excel in their chosen fields.

Stanford Office of the Ombuds: The Ombuds strives for fair and equitable resolution to questions, concerns, and complaints. This is an excellent first resource for attempting to resolve issues with your advisor, other members of your lab, roommates, etc. The Ombuds provides advice on conflict resolution from an unbiased perspective (i.e., they do not see it as their role to support either party, but rather to find a resolution that works for both parties) in an informal setting—if your complaint is legal in nature, they may also be able to guide you to the appropriate channels to report.

• Stanford Medicine has its own separate Office of the Ombuds, which students on the medical campus can use.

Bechtel International Center: We believe that international educational exchange nurtures a lifelong global perspective and aspire to play a key role in increasing Stanford’s visibility around the world, strengthening Stanford’s position as a global university of consequence.

• Check out their programs & events page

Undocumented at Stanford: Stanford is committed to a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, faculty, staff and scholars, and it provides services and support to them without regard to their immigration status, religion, nationality, ethnicity or other characteristics. That commitment includes support for undocumented students. We welcome applications from all students who are ready to make the most of the extraordinary academic opportunities available at Stanford. This website provides information and resources for current members of the Stanford community, prospective students and all others who may have questions about issues related to undocumented status.

Immigration Issues and Resources: This website provides resources, including FAQs and links to legal advice to support students with immigration issues. Check out their help & support page.

Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic: Law students in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic have full responsibility for defending clients against deportation in San Francisco Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts of appeals.

FAQs for International Graduate School Applicants