Grad School Info

General Info

Should I apply for funding before graduate school?

 

  • The most common grant funding that students apply for is the NSF GRFP, which provides three years of funding (tuition and stipend) for the awardee.
  • Who is eligible?
    • At this time, only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for this award.
  • I'm eligible. How many times can I apply?
    • As of 2026:
      • Undergraduate seniors in bachelor’s degree programs and bachelor's degree holders with no prior enrollment in a graduate degree program have no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a graduate degree-granting program.
      • Individuals enrolled in joint bachelor 's-master's degree programs are considered graduate students and can apply only once.
      • Individuals enrolled in graduate degree programs can apply only once, in the first year of their first graduate program.
  • Award decisions are not made until after the admissions process is complete; however, applying can be a useful process for organizing your ideas for your graduate school application.
  • Several members of the lab have applied for or have been awarded an NSF GRFP and recommend Alex Lang’s Website.
Do I need to decide on a specific topic before applying?
  • While many students apply to graduate school with specific projects or topics in mind, these choices are largely non-binding - we do not expect you to have figured everything out at the point of admissions, and your project ideas will almost certainly evolve as you learn.
  • Rather, we are interested which fields of research, approaches and questions may be most interesting to you and why. Reflect on what you’ve done, how it has shaped your thinking and interests, and how it may shape what you do in graduate school.
How do I choose a lab? What other questions should I ask?
  • While we’ve tried to provide answers to common questions about our lab, this list is by no means exhaustive, and may not fully capture the ethos of other labs. Generally, applicants should seek out good theoretical and scientific matches for their work. Additionally, applicants may want to ask further questions of any group they are considering joining, especially about aspects that change year to year.
  • It is not uncommon a lab to recruit students via several departments or programs, e.g. psychology, neuroscience, or vision science. Applicants should clarify what program is best matched for them with the PI, as this can vary with factors like citizenship or year-to-year changes in funding.
  • Grant funding has an indelible effect on the research topics or methods that a lab will use. Applicants should ask about the funding state of potential labs, as this can both i) clarify any funding-based limitations on future research, and ii) provide a better snapshot of the current interests of the lab than published papers, which can lag months or years behind the work they describe.
  • Stipends and associated TA commitments vary substantially between different graduate programs, even in the same geographic region. This information is often available on university websites, but applicants are encouraged to ask and consider these questions when joining a lab. Because graduate school is considered a (typically exclusive) full-time work commitment, cost of living and compensation are important data for you to have on any program you are considering.
  • Generally, applicants should feel free to be open and honest in their questions, especially to other trainees - you’re interviewing us just as much as we’re interviewing you! Graduate school is a challenging and long process, and the goal of the application process is, truly, to find an optimal fit between students and lab environments. Students will have varying personal preferences about work and lifestyle factors, and all of these can factor in your graduate school decision.
Should I email the PI before I apply?
  • Emailing the PI (Principal Investigator) of the lab you want to apply to is a great way to introduce yourself and confirm whether they are recruiting students this cycle.
  • However, such emails do not determine admissions outcomes, and applicants who do not email are not at a disadvantage in the admissions process, which functions independently from the lab.
  • Before you email, first check the lab website, as sometimes the PI will explicitly state not to contact them before applying for equity reasons.
  • If the PI seems open to inquiries, you can send them a brief email to introduce yourself, express your interest in their research, and confirm if they are recruiting students this cycle. 
I want to email the PI prior to applying, what should my email say?
  • Keep it brief! Write a short introduction, why you're interested in the lab, and ask if the PI is accepting graduate students this cycle.
  • Some things you might include:
    • What is your name, undergraduate institution, and major?
    • What makes you interested in and excited about the work that the lab does?
    • What research experience or other relevant background do you have?
    • What are some questions you may want to work on in graduate school, and what makes them interesting to you?
    • You can also ask to confirm whether the lab is accepting graduate students, and to set up a time to talk briefly with the PI or another lab member before you apply.

Applying to Stanford

How do I know which PhD program to join?
  • VPNL accepts students via both the Psychology Department and the Neurosciences Graduate Program. The main differences between the programs are:
  • Course Requirements: See the requirements for Psych and Neuro
  • Organization: Psychology is a department, whereas the Neurosciences Graduate Program is an interdepartmental program whose affiliated students and faculty span multiple departments (including psychology, neurobiology, computer science, electrical engineering, psychiatry and others)
  • Rotations: While students in the Psychology Department enter directly into a particular lab, students in the Neurosciences Graduate Program take part in 3 quarter-long rotations during their first year. Students typically select their thesis lab following their third rotation, in the summer before their second year.
  • Funding Model: Psychology guarantees 5 years of funding via a departmental training grant, while the Neurosciences program provides 4 years of funding, after which a PI’s grant(s) or a fellowship must cover the student. The different funding models for each program can have an impact on which is best for you, especially if you are not a US citizen. We are happy to provide additional information specific to your situation.
  • Teaching Requirement: Students in the Psychology Department have a teaching requirement (five quarters as a TA), whereas students in the Neurosciences Graduate Program are not required to TA (but may choose to do so for experience and additional income).
  • Admissions for both the Psychology and Neuroscience programs occur at the department/program level. For more information about the admissions process see: Psychology PhD Admissions and Neuroscience PhD Admissions.
  • We are happy to answer questions about which program may be better for you. Current lab members have entered via both systems successfully and productively.
  • We also encourage our students to collaborate with other labs while at Stanford; ongoing collaborations include work with the Yamins, Norcia, and McNab labs within Stanford.
How much does graduate school cost?
  • Zero. Our PhD programs (psychology and neuroscience) are "fully funded," meaning that students do not pay any tuition costs, and receive a living stipend for the duration of their PhD work.
  • Students are not expected to take on loans to fund their PhD education, unlike other graduate programs (e.g. MDs, MBAs, JDs).
  • Funding levels are set yearly, but to accommodate the high living cost of the Bay Area, they are consistently above the NIH funding level for PhDs.
  • In the summers, students typically sign up for research credit and have continuous funding.
Is there support for international students at Stanford?
  • Stanford, and VPNL in particular, appreciates diversity and welcomes international students. At any given time, there are generally several international lab members.
  • If you are not a US citizen or green-card holder, you will require a visa in order to join VPNL from abroad. Stanford will help you through the process of acquiring the visa. Hence, while acquiring a visa does involve paperwork and some leg-work, it should not deter you from joining the Stanford Community.
  • Graduate students typically apply for either an F1 or a J1 visa, and both visa categories have their advantages (see comparisons here).
  • Typically, F1 is the better option if you are not bringing a spouse, whereas J1 has the added benefit that your spouse will be able to work in the US, as well.
  • Most of the funding sources listed here are limited to US citizens and permanent residents. International students may find additional sources that are country-specific, or from private foundations. A partial list is maintained here. However, international students are supported through the department/program with no limitations on country of origin.
How much does it cost to apply to Stanford?
  • Submitting an application to either the Psychology Department or the Neurosciences Graduate Program requires a $125 application fee as of 2020. Fee waivers are available for those who need assistance with the application fee.
  • Taking the GRE and submitting scores can cost more than $230 as of 2020, not including costs associated with getting to a test center. Please note that the GRE is not considered by the Neurosciences Graduate Program, even if it is submitted. Similarly, submitting GRE scores is not required by the Psychology Department when applying.
  • If you need to take the TOEFL, costs are similar to the GRE (about $200 as of 2020) but vary depending on location.
  • If you are invited to interview with either the Psychology Department or the Neurosciences Program, all expenses related to the visit (including airfare, lodging, and meals) are typically paid; in other words, the interview weekend has no cost to the student. Note that this is generally the case for interviews in many schools with Psychology/Neuroscience programs in the U.S., but there may be exceptions and reimbursement caps at other programs.

Applying to the Vision and Perception Neuroscience Lab (VPNL)

What background do I need for this lab?
  • The lab aims to rigorously solve interesting questions about brain function, structure, and behavior.
  • We come from a diverse set of educational backgrounds: current lab members’ undergraduate degrees include psychology, biology, electrical engineering, symbolic systems, computer science, and beyond.
  • We value interest in our research topics, and the drive to learn necessary technical skills at a high-level.
How much prior research experience do I need?
  • Some lab members join VPNL directly from undergrad, while others take time between undergrad and graduate school to gain additional research experience, usually in the form of research assistant work (see visionlist, CV net, handshake, university databases etc. for opportunities), or a masters program. You could also identify labs that may be of interest to you and check their websites and/or contact them directly about opportunities
  • Still other graduate students have joined the lab after working in other fields after college. Having prior research experience is useful as beyond building useful research skills, working in a lab allows you to (i) refine what it is you’re interested in studying, and (ii) evaluate whether it’s something you’ll want to do for the (fairly long) duration of a typical PhD (~5 years).
  • If you have questions about your current level of lab experience, please don’t hesitate to ask us before applying!
What are the topics of research in the VPNL?
  • Research done in the lab is driven by member interests, as well as funded grants and initiatives
  • Currently, we work on projects that aim to uncover the function, structure, computations, and development of human visual cortex and their relation to perception.
  • Some recent projects include (i) studying functional and structural brain development in infants and in children, (ii) using computational modeling to resolve mechanisms of face recognition in the brain, (iii) using quantitative MRI and diffusion MRI to determine structure/function coupling in the brain, and (iv) using computational modeling to resolve spatiotemporal processing in the brain.
  • Students may work in these areas, or contribute novel ideas and directions as we constantly evolve and push the limits of our approaches.
What methods does the VPNL use?
  • Currently, we are working with functional and anatomical MRI, diffusion MRI, EEG, behavioral testing, and computational modeling (both of brain data and convolutional neural networks).
  • We also collaborate with groups at UCSF, Stanford, and in Germany that do histological research to better understand microstructural underpinnings of quantitative and diffusion MRI. However, the state of the field is constantly evolving, and we are always open to adopting new methods that answer our questions.
What skills are useful for research in the VPNL?
  • The majority of our work is done via programming, usually in Matlab, R, Python, or some combination thereof. Many recent publications in the lab have been accompanied by the code used for analysis (see our page on GitHub). It may be useful for applicants to brush up on these languages before starting in the lab.
  • Graduate students publish in scientific journals, so a certain level of written communication is expected.
  • Courses on perception, cognitive development, psychology, and neuroscience will provide topic-level expertise on our research areas. Candidates interested in working in computational modeling may wish to brush up on basic mathematics and statistics (e.g. linear algebra, multivariable calculus).
Do I need to email Kalanit prior to applying?
  • Our PI, Kalanit Grill-Spector, is happy to touch base before you apply to the lab. This can be an efficient and informative way to determine whether your research interests align with VPNL and/or other labs in the department.
  • However, such emails do not determine admissions outcomes, and applicants who do not email are not at a disadvantage in the admissions process, which functions independently from the lab.
  • In this vein, you should also feel free to reach out to other lab members working on specific projects that are interesting to you. If you do not receive a response from us, please know it’s not personal or evaluative! Most likely, your email was just missed, and you should feel free to follow up.
How does VPNL support work-life balance?
  • Our lab has a diverse group of people with various backgrounds and family settings including lab members with significant others and young children (see here for resources on on-site childcare). We actively support a robust work-life balance within our lab.
  • Our culture fosters close collaboration within shared lab offices, where each space accommodates 2 to 3 lab members. Embracing a flexible 9-5pm work schedule, we acknowledge and accommodate life's other responsibilities.
  • Many of our lab members utilize Stanford's amazing recreational programs accessible to students, staff and significant others. Stanford’s location and climate make it an ideal environment for year-round outdoor activities - lab members can hike the Stanford Dish and on campus.
  • Although Palo Alto is a sleepier town than nearby San Francisco (about 35 min by car, or an hour by Caltrain) or Oakland, it boasts great restaurants, shopping, and access to nature!
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