Graduate Student Research Funding

The King Center’s Graduate Student Research Funding (GSRF) supports Stanford doctoral student research activities on global poverty and development, especially field-based work in low- and middle-income countries. The research must be part of a doctoral dissertation and be student-led.

Application Deadlines

The deadlines for the 2025-2026 academic year are:

• Autumn: Sunday, October 19, 2025 by 11:59 PM
• Winter: Sunday, March 1, 2026
• Spring: Monday, May 25, 2026

Eligibility

• Stanford doctoral students in any discipline who are making satisfactory academic progress and are writing a PhD dissertation are eligible to apply.
• Award recipients must be registered students during the quarter in which they receive funding.
• Prior applicants may reapply for funding for different projects or may resubmit improved versions of earlier submissions.
• Applicants are allowed to apply for other sources of funding simultaneously. However, they must indicate this in their application and cannot accept multiple sources of funding for the same expenses. Additionally, please ensure that other funding sources permit the use of KC funding.

Types of Awards

1. Travel Awards: Up to $5,000
Travel grants are intended for PhD students early in their programs who are exploring topics and countries of interest. The primary purpose of the trip should be to help the student acquire new expertise or explore potential dissertation projects (not to work on faculty-led projects). The funding is intended for costs such as plane tickets and lodging for two months in the low- or middle-income countries of interest. These projects require one letter of recommendation and travel funds will be disbursed via stipend.

2. Exploratory Awards: Up to $8,000
Exploratory funding offers support for student-led research projects in their initial phase, including preliminary data collection, testing, interviews, data access, meetings with local partners, etc. These projects require one letter of recommendation and funds will be disbursed either via stipend or contract.

3. Advanced Awards: Up to $25,000
Advanced funding provides support for student-led research that is more developed and further along the PhD dissertation path, and can include support for administering larger surveys, hiring field assistants, translators, compiling administrative data, etc. These projects require two letters of recommendation and funds will be disbursed either via stipend or contract. It is expected that students will receive at most one advanced award.

Additional funding for research on issues important to Brazil is available through a partnership with the Lemann Center.

For those interested in conducting research in China, the King Center on Global Development’s focus is on global poverty and development in middle- and low-income countries. Funding for research in China may be possible if it aligns closely with the above. Funding for research on other issues important to China may be available through the Stanford Center on China’s Economy & Institutions (SCCEI).

Selection Criteria and Process

1. Review Criteria:
a) Alignment with the themes of global poverty and development. 
b) Innovation: Originality and potential impact of the research
c) Academic Rigor: Methodological soundness and feasibility
d) Budget Justification: Whether the budget is reasonable and aligned with the proposed research

2. Selection Process:
a) A committee appointed by the King Center’s Faculty Steering Committee will filter proposals for alignment with the themes of global poverty and development, and then use the review criteria to evaluate the proposals.
b) Awards will prioritize projects requesting coverage of direct research costs (travel, field expenses, data acquisition, etc.).

For additional information, please review the Application Process webpage.

Contact Information and Support

If you have questions, reach out to kingcenter_programs@stanford.edu.

Helpful Links:

• Application Process
• Award Process
• Contract Process