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From Nobel Prize winners to undergraduates, all members of the Stanford community are engaged in the creation of knowledge.

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Stanford’s culture of collaboration drives innovative discoveries in areas vital to our world, our health, and our intellectual life.

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Fifteen independent labs, centers, and institutes engage faculty and students from across the university.

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SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

SLAC is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory operated by Stanford, conducting research in chemistry, materials and energy sciences, bioscience, fusion energy science, high-energy physics, cosmology and other fields.

Hoover Institution

The Hoover Institution, devoted to the study of domestic and international affairs, was founded in 1919 by Herbert Hoover, a member of Stanford’s pioneer class of 1895 and the 31st U.S. president.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Working toward a future in which societies meet people’s needs for water, food and health while protecting and nurturing the planet.

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Advancing research into the historical, philosophical, literary, artistic, and cultural dimensions of the human experience.

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Biomedical and life science researchers, clinicians, engineers, physicists and computational scientists come together to unlock the secrets of the human body.

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)

Understanding problems, policies and processes that cross borders and affect lives around the world.

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Stanford is home to more than 20 individual libraries, each with a world-class collection of books, journals, films, maps and databases.

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Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR) connects undergraduates with faculty to conduct research, advanced scholarship, and creative projects.

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The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research, provides comprehensive information about the research enterprise at Stanford.

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Hello! I'm a high school junior, and I am considering Stanford as a top choice for college. I would like to know if it's considered a research university and how it might benefit me in terms of research opportunities. I am planning to major in electrical engineering. Any input would be much appreciated, thanks!

Hello! Yes, Stanford University is indeed considered a research university, and it is well-known for its strong emphasis on research activities. Being a research university, Stanford provides numerous opportunities for undergraduate students like yourself to get involved in research. As an electrical engineering major, you can join a variety of research projects or even initiate your own with the support of faculty members.

For example, my child, who is also an electrical engineering major at Stanford, got involved in a research project related to the Internet of Things (IoT) during their sophomore year. They were able to work closely with a professor and gained valuable hands-on experience in their field. This wouldn't have been possible without the vast resources and opportunities provided by Stanford's research-oriented environment.

I'm confident that you'll find plenty of research opportunities at Stanford to suit your interests and help you develop practical skills in your chosen field. Best of luck in your college application journey!

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are at the heart of Stanford’s mission. Every faculty member is engaged in groundbreaking original scholarship, and as an undergraduate, you can join faculty in their work in laboratories, libraries, studios, and beyond. Imagine how you can connect your classroom learning and intellectual interests as you work on an independent project under faculty mentorship.

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The Institute's comprehensive investigations extend from the earliest phase of basic discovery to the development of new cancer diagnostics, treatment protocols and prevention strategies

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In addition to the six research programs identified in our Cancer Center Support Grant, the Stanford Cancer Institute supports a number of key initiatives designed to foster discovery, application and translation of scientific knowledge. Inter-disciplinary teams of collaborative investigators partner to solve some of the most challenging questions in cancer research. Some of our key initiatives include:

The Stanford Brain Metastases Consortium

The Stanford Brain Metastases Consortium is a unique partnership between scientists, physicians and surgeons from across the Stanford community, bringing together experts in research and clinical care of brain metastases. The goal of the Consortium is to increase the number of available clinical trials and collaborative publications, and to enhance patients' experience through a team-based approach to care.

Stanford Pancreas Cancer Research Group (SPCRG)

The members of this group are committed to advancing research and care for pancreatic cancer.  SPCRG is comprised of an inter-disciplinary team of collaborative investigators from multiple Schools at Stanford.

After Cancer: Stanford Cancer Survivorship Program

After Cancer's mission is    to improve the experience, and outcomes, of patients and caregivers throughout all phases of their cancer journey by advancing survivorship research, clinical care and education. 

Wipe Out Melanoma - California

Wipe Out Melanoma - California is a project focused on primary and secondary prevention research with a particular emphasis on Hispanic and low socioeconomic status Caucasian groups who are at the highest risk for advanced disease. It is a joint partnership with Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai, and part of a larger nationwide War on Melanoma- Federation of States.

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Behind the $1.98 billion in Stanford’s external research funds

Stanford research projects received $1.98 billion in external funding last fiscal year — a projected 6.3% increase from fiscal year 2022, according to the 2023-2024 budget plan released by the Board of Trustees. 

Of Stanford’s 7,500 externally-funded research projects, three-quarters are sponsored by the U.S. federal government, which gave over $600 million to the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory . Businesses, nonprofits and internal funding sponsored the remaining quarter. 

The School of Medicine received the most external funds at $1.04 billion, while the School of Engineering received $163 million and the School of Humanities and Sciences received $104 million. Medical research tends to capture the lion’s share of government funds at research institutions, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsoring just under 40% of all health research in the United States.

“Most people think that Stanford is doing research for companies when really … the vast majority of our research funding every year comes from the government,” said G. Russell Brewer, associate vice president of research administration. In 2022, only 7% of external funds came from private industry. 

Within the government, research and development (R&D) funding is highly decentralized: Each of 15 cabinet departments has an internal research unit that determines its own research needs and budget allocation. 

Because of its historic focus on “basic research,” or the exploration of fundamental scientific questions that are insulated from demand for immediate application, the Department of Defense (DoD) receives the most R&D funding out of all departmental agencies — 42% of total government R&D expenditures.

Historically, the DoD’s contributions to science and technology have ranged from Pringles to duct tape to the Internet, which arose from its collaborations with agencies like ARPANET, USDA and Johnson & Johnson. 

“Unlike some other countries, we as the DoD don’t want to own the technology,” said Patrick Biggs, an Army colonel and national security affairs fellow at the Hoover Institution. “Generally, governments aren’t good at developing technology.”

However, in accepting DoD funding, universities are usually not expected to produce commercial products or defense capabilities the way institutions like ARAPNET or USDA might be. In fact, the majority of Stanford’s government funding comes in the form of grants. 

“In the government’s world, a grant is almost like financial assistance,” Brewer said. “We have a responsibility to spend their money wisely, and we are obligated to report what we did, but there are no expectations of results.” 

Part of this flexibility stems from the long timelines inherent to basic research in certain disciplines. 

“In the case of the NIH, some of these grants go on for 15-20 years,” Brewer said. 

Because of the government’s substantial role in funding academic research, some say grant applications can often reflect the national political climate as well. 

“Researchers sometimes find it politically smart to link their research programs and grants to areas policy-makers care about,” said public policy lecturer Patrick Windham, who was also a senior professional staff member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation from 1984-1997.

“But how much of this stated connection is window dressing and how much of it is genuine work on these issues is an open question,” he added.

Though the Office of Research Administration at Stanford helps faculty solicit, secure and manage external funding, faculty and postdocs generally enjoy substantial autonomy over the direction and pace of their research. 

“The University in general doesn’t put its hand on the scale,” Brewer said. 

Vice Provost and Dean of Research David Studdert pointed out that this bottom-up approach makes Stanford unique from other non-academic research institutions. “When it comes to the question of what will be studied and how it will be studied, we have almost no central control,” he said. 

Faculty have significant influence over not only their personal research projects, but also broader University policies on government funding. Studdert said Stanford’s policy restricts secret research in the interest of maintaining an open-source culture, which means the University sometimes misses out on federal funding requiring secrecy.

“Not all our peers have the same view,” Studdert said. “This is a decision that’s been made by the faculty and it’s an expression of our values.” 

Given the growth of research at Stanford and its potential to impact a broad array of fields, Brewer and Studdert encouraged undergraduates to get involved through myriad programs . 

“Undergrads are so curious and unformed in terms of being certain about where they want to go,” Studdert said. “Even if they don’t want a career in research, the experience of learning the research method and being able to work with people at the very forefront of their fields … is the great thing about being at a university like Stanford.”

Emma is a writer for The Daily. Contact them at news ‘at’ stanforddaily.com.

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