Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowships (SIGF)

The Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF) Program is a competitive, university-wide program overseen and administered by the  Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education that awards three-year fellowships to outstanding doctoral students engaged in interdisciplinary research. The SIGF supports Stanford doctoral students in undertaking novel, cutting-edge research and pursuing questions that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. Since 2008, 362 students have received a SIGF. Examples include:

  • Interdisciplinary initiatives in bio-x, biomedical research and biosciences; international studies; creativity and the arts; K-12 education; and environment, energy, and sustainability
  • Multidisciplinary inquiry within and between the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences
  • Other emerging areas of interdisciplinary study.

Applications are submitted directly to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Fellowship Terms

Stipend support: 

  • Annual stipend paid over 4 quarters for three years. The 2023-24 stipend for VPGE-administered fellowships is set at $52,920 annually, $13,230 per quarter.
  • In Year 3, a fund of $3,000 ($750/quarter) will facilitate intellectual and professional development in interdisciplinary research.
  • Fellows with TGR enrollment before Year 3 will also receive the additional stipend of $750 per quarter to facilitate intellectual and professional development in interdisciplinary research.


Tuition: 

  • In Years 1 and 2, the SIGF pays tuition for 8 - 10 units for Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters, plus Summer tuition for 3 units.
  • In Year 3, the SIGF pays TGR tuition for four quarters.


Important Dates

  • Application Opens: January 2024
  • Application Deadline: April 16, 2024
    • Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all materials are submitted before the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  • Award Notifications: May 2024
  • SIGF Acceptance Deadline: May 2024


Eligibility

Stanford graduate students must fulfill the following criteria to be eligible to apply for the SIGF:

  • Applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral degree program in any of Stanford’s seven schools.
  • Applicants must be currently in the first three years of a doctoral program at Stanford University, based upon the matriculation date.
    • If an applicant is initially admitted to a non-terminal master's degree program (please consult department if unsure) in the same department as their doctoral program, the time spent in the master's program counts towards the first three years of graduate study. In this case, applicants must be within their first three years of graduate study (master's plus doctoral quarters) and be enrolled in an open/active doctoral program at the time of application.
  • If an applicant has a NSF, NDSEG, or other equivalent fellowship that provides tenure on an annual basis, all that fellowship’s support must be exhausted prior to autumn quarter 2023-24 (i.e., all available funds from the fellowship have been used and funds are not being forfeited).

Ideally, applicants will be in the second or third year, and have demonstrated academic excellence and evidence of the potential for innovative research in an interdisciplinary area. Ability to link intellectual innovation with solving societal problems, an interest in communicating research to a broader audience, and a capacity for future leadership will also be considered positive qualifications.

Please visit SIGF program and application web page to learn more about how to apply, or contact the VPGE office by email (sigf@stanford.edu).

Contact Information

Brian Sharbono
Associate Director, Programs 
650.721.2916
sharbono@stanford.edu