Graduate Student Research Funding

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

Application Deadlines

The remaining deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year is:

• Spring: Sunday, June 1, 2025, 11:59 PM*
  *All June applicants are encouraged to attend the June 4, pre-award meeting 4-5pm in SIEPR - Doll 320.  

The Winter deadline passed on Sunday, March 16, 2025.  For those students who received Winter funding, there will be a mandatory Graduate Student Research Funding recipient orientation on Thursday, April 10, 2025 from 3-4pm in SIEPR - Doll 320. Please mark your calendars. 

Eligibility

• Stanford doctoral students in any discipline who are making satisfactory academic progress and are writing a PhD dissertation.
• 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 (not for faculty-led projects). The primary purpose of the trip should be to help the student acquire new expertise or explore potential dissertation 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.

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) Innovation: Originality and potential impact of the research
b) Academic Rigor: Methodological soundness and feasibility
c) Budget Justification: Whether the budget is reasonable and aligned with the proposed research

Please note: Projects must be aligned with the themes of global poverty and development.

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.).

Contact Information and Support

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

Helpful Links:

• Application Process
• Award Process
• Contract Process