Welcome to Stanford University!

The PhD Program in Immunology is one of fourteen Stanford Biosciences programs. Our training philosophy is to provide outstanding training and education in immunology and to develop young investigators who will carry out innovative and groundbreaking research. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community where each student thrives. We have a long tradition of collaboration among the immunology laboratories, with an emphasis on the application of cutting-edge approaches to problems in cellular, molecular, computational, and clinical immunology.

Immunology faculty members are leaders in their respective areas of research, and often incorporate bench to bedside approaches. Our PhD core coursework requirements plus strong electives in related disciplines, provide an integrated curriculum that spans basic and clinical immunology. Students can choose from either the Molecular, Cellular, and Translational Immunology (MCTI) track or the Computational and Systems Immunology (CSI) track. Graduate students in immunology actively participate in seminars, journal clubs, and the annual Stanford Immunology Scientific Conference. Students have access to state-of-the-art research facilities in the immunology laboratories, located in various departments in the School of Medicine, the School of Humanities and Sciences, and the Palo Alto Veteran's Administration Medical Center.

PhD Handbook

This handbook provides information about program-specific policies and procedures. It also provides helpful resources to support you during your academic program.

Because graduate school is an active partnership between the student and the program, the program expects students to familiarize themselves with this information and to seek clarification as needed. Graduate students are expected to proactively seek academic and professional guidance and take responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.

Students are held to the degree requirements included in the Stanford Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures (GAP: https://gap.stanford.edu/handbooks/gap-handbook/chapter-4/subchapter-5/page-4-5-1) and the Immunology program handbook published in the year of matriculation; program practices and procedures outlined in the handbook may change year to year.

Welcome to Stanford University!

We are excited that you have chosen Stanford University’s PhD Program in Immunology for your PhD studies. We hope this graduate handbook will provide you with information you need as you progress toward your PhD degree in Immunology.

Stanford Immunology is home to faculty, students, postdocs, and staff who work together to produce internationally recognized research in immunology. The long tradition of collaboration among the immunology laboratories at Stanford fosters productive interdisciplinary research, with an emphasis on the application of molecular approaches to problems in cellular, translational, and clinical immunology. Faculty research interests include both basic science research and bench-to-bedside approaches, as well as computational and systems immunology. Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars receive high caliber, state-of-the art training through their participation in research, teaching, seminars, journal clubs, and the annual Stanford Immunology Scientific Conference.

Our congratulations and warm welcome!

Graduate Program Committee

The Graduate Program Committee is responsible for the selection, admission, education and degree achievement of all pre-doctoral students in Immunology at Stanford. The Committee also sets programmatic policies for the graduate program.

• Olivia Martinez, Co-Director of Stanford Immunology, Chair, Graduate Program Committee, Surgery
• Sean Bendall, Co-Director of Stanford Immunology, Chair, Admissions Subcommittee, Pathology
• Nima Aghaeepour, Chair, Computational and Systems Immunology Committee, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Adult MSD), of Pediatrics (Neonatology) 
• Michael Howitt, Microbiology and Immunology
• Lingyin Li, Biochemistry
• Bali Pulendran, Microbiology and Immunology
• Radeesha Jayewickreme, Student Committee Member
  

Graduate Program Administration

Immunology Program Office:

Biomedical Innovations Building (BMI)
240 Pasteur Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94304
M/S: 07-600

Candidates for PhD degrees at Stanford must satisfactorily complete a program of study that includes 135 units of graduate course work and research. At least 3 units must be taken with each of four different Stanford faculty members. Drs. Martinez and Bendall will discuss and approve your selection of courses in your quarterly advising meetings. Study lists are submitted quarterly through Student AXESS with a total 10 units of coursework. Study lists containing less than 9 units do not meet the university’s minimum degree progress or visa requirements for international students. Study lists containing more than 10 units will trigger a larger student tuition bill, so please remember to register for 10 units only by the University deadline. There are serious financial consequences to missing these deadlines (a $200 late fee, losing the health care subsidy, etc.). Please note there are 2 important deadlines to keep in mind: the preliminary study list deadline and the final study list deadline.

Graduate students (including MD/PhD students in the graduate student phase of their training) must take all required courses for a letter grade. A letter grade of “C” is considered a failing grade. The University requires that you maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to remain enrolled at Stanford University.

Outline of Program Requirements

Courses and Seminars

Each student will also discuss scheduling courses and rotations with the Graduate Program Co-Directors, Drs. Martinez and Bendall, during their quarterly advising meetings.  All MCTI and CSI Track students must be enrolled in exactly 10 units during Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters until reaching Terminal Graduate Residence (TGR) status in the Spring or Summer quarter of their fourth year.

MSTP students should register for more than 10 units. While you are in the MED CAREER (first 12 quarters), register for 9 - 26 units each quarter (except Autumn quarter M1 and M2 when you should register for 9 - 39 units), including summers. For the three GRAD CAREER quarters (quarters 13 -15; Autumn, Winter, Spring of G2), register for 11 - 18 units. This is the full-time graduate unit range. Please note, during GRAD billing, you must register for at least 11 units, otherwise you will not be considered full- time GRAD. This will affect your future status

Students are required to pass all courses in which they are enrolled; required courses and elective courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students must earn a grade of 'B-' or better in all courses applicable to the degree that are taken for a letter grade. Satisfactory completion of each year’s general and track specific requirements listed below is required.  (Note that the units for some courses can be flexible in order to help students maintain exactly 10 units per quarter.  Students should discuss with Drs. Martinez and Bendall if they have difficulty coming up with a study list with the appropriate number of units.)  

In the first-year advising meeting, Drs. Martinez and Bendall will determine if the student’s undergraduate training in biology, immunology and cognate disciplines is equivalent to the required undergraduate Biology major curriculum at Stanford. If there are gaps in the undergraduate training, the first-year student and Drs. Martinez and Bendall will design a specific first year curriculum that includes advanced undergraduate courses, such as IMM 200, as needed. 

A Course Substitution Form should be submitted to Drs. Martinez and Bendall by a graduate student who, with appropriate circumstances and approval, wishes to substitute a course for one of the required courses in the Stanford Immunology PhD program.  The Form should be submitted to the Co-Directors for consideration prior to registering for the course.

MCTI and CSI Tracks Core Courses

All students in either, Molecular, Cellular, and Translational Immunology (MCTI) or  Computational and Systems Immunology (CSI) are required to enroll in the following core courses:  

Candidates for Ph.D. degrees at Stanford must satisfactorily complete a program of study that includes 135 units of graduate course work and research. At least 3 units must be taken with each of four different Stanford faculty members. Students in the MCTI track are expected to complete all their core course requirements by the end of their second year; students in the CSI track should complete their core course work by the end of the third year.

Ethics/Responsible Conduct of Research Courses

All students are required by the NSF and NIH to take MED 255 The Responsible Conduct of Research. This course must be completed by the end of the first year and is offered in all four quarters.

In the third through fifth year, students are required to take IMMUNOL 258 Ethics, Science, and Society, a refresher ethics course that is required by NIH and is offered every other year.

Track Specific Requirements

In addition to the general requirements listed above, students must also complete requirements within their track. Written petitions for exemptions to core curriculum and lab rotation requirements are considered only in the first year by the advising committee and the chair of the Graduate Program committee. Approval is contingent upon special circumstances and is not routinely granted.

Molecular, Cellular, and Translational Immunology

In addition to the core courses listed above, MCTI first-year students are required to take the following courses in their first year for a letter grade:

Electives:

Two electives (Examples of electives are below. Other courses may be considered to fulfill the elective requirement but approval of a Co-Director must be obtained before enrolling)

Computational and Systems Immunology

In addition to the core courses listed above, the CSI curriculum trains students to be computational and experimental scientists, who are expected to identify important problems in immunology and to devise integrated computational/ experimental plans for addressing them. 

CSI Core (Required): 

Students in the CSI track are required to take the following core courses in their first and second years, unless demonstrated by proficiency or coursework.  For example, a student, with proficiency in concepts taught in CS 106A, may petition to be exempt from this course and go on to take CS 106B.  Petitions to be granted an exemption from the courses CS 106A, CS 109, and CS 161 must be approved by one of the Co-Chairs of the CSI Track and the Co-Directors of Immunology in advance; exemptions cannot be granted retroactively.

CSI Electives:

Two electives (Examples of electives are below but are not limited to those listed). If a student chooses to do an elective that is not in the list below, they must ensure it is primarily a computational course.

In order to build their computational skill sets, CSI students may be advised to take additional courses by their thesis committees.

Suggested Courses:

To see a description of the specific courses, please use the following resources:

●      Stanford Navigator website

●      Stanford Bulletin

Following is a list of milestones and forms that PhD students are expected to complete, as well as their corresponding deadline. All forms and papers must be turned into the Immunology Program Office.

Immunology Startup and First Year Advising

Since students enter with differing backgrounds, each student is assisted by the first-year advisors in selecting courses and lab rotations in the first year and in choosing a lab for the dissertation research. In addition, the Immunology Startup, a three-day introduction to immunology in early September, exposes incoming Immunology PhD students to a variety of techniques and concepts, resources and facilities, and in-depth discussions with faculty.

All students must be enrolled in exactly 10 units during Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters until reaching Terminal Graduate Residence (TGR) status in the spring or summer quarter of their fourth year. Students are required to pass all courses in which they are enrolled. Students must earn a grade of 'B-' or better in all courses applicable to the degree and all courses required for the degree must be taken for a[1]  letter grade. Satisfactory completion of each year’s general and track specific requirements listed below is required. During the first year, degree progress is monitored closely by the first-year advisors, Drs. Martinez and Bendall, in quarterly meetings and by the Stanford Graduate Program Committee in a final advising session in June.

A specific program of study for each student is developed individually with the first-year advisors, Drs. Martinez and Bendall.

Note: The Advisor-Advisee relationship is an important component of the graduate school experience.

Choosing Labs for Rotations and Dissertation Research

First year Immunology students are required to do at least 3 rotations according to the rules set by the Immunology Training Grant; this applies to all students regardless of their funding mechanism. Each of the 3 rotations must be at least 6 weeks in duration and can last up to a full quarter if needed; a minimum of 6 weeks must be spent in an official rotation in the lab that the student decides to join. It should be noted that if a rotation is not working out, they can be shortened to allow for another rotation to begin, but they should not be shorter than 6 weeks by design. If a rotation ends early, it does not count towards the 3 x 6 weeks requirement. A student should not rotate in more than 4 labs.

At least two of these rotations should be in Immunology labs.

The goal of the rotations is to be able to join a lab by summer quarter and for some students, after completion of at least 3 rotations lasting a minimum of 6 weeks each. Rotations will no longer be tied to the quarter, allowing students greater flexibility in their rotations.

Rotating students should register under Sean Bendall for Immunol 399, and our Program Co-Directors will be responsible for entering the grade after completion of the rotation.

After joining a lab, students are required to meet with their thesis advisor within 30 days to complete the Individual Development Plan (IDP).  Students continue to complete the IDP annually.

When you have chosen a lab, you and your PI have access to resources to align your expectations and discuss future plans. Students are encouraged to meet weekly with their advisor regarding their thesis project and at least annually regarding career development. The Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education shares best practices for Advising & Mentoring relationships: https://vpge.stanford.edu/guidance-students/current-students/working-with-your-graduate-advisor.

You can find information about our faculty's research interests on the Immunology Faculty page.

Individual Development Plan

For the seventh year in a row, 99% of students completed their Individual Development Plan (IDP); thank you for making this past year’s program a success.  The NIH requires a statement on the use of IDPs in annual progress reports, and the Committee on Graduate Admissions and Policy (CGAP) requires all Biosciences PhD candidates to complete and discuss an Individual Development Plan at least once annually.  Students and advisors share responsibility for completing this requirement by August 1 each year; failure to do so results in a “hold” on student registration and may jeopardize Stanford’s competitiveness for NIH funding. If a hold is placed on your student account, you will not be able to register until you have contacted Ross Colvin larkspur@stanford.edu with an update on when the IDP meeting was held, is planned to take place or a good reason for why it has not taken place yet. He is the sole person that can lift the hold.

As a reminder, the IDP process and timeline to complete your IDP forms and conversations are as follows:

1. SCHEDULE your annual IDP meeting with your thesis advisor before June
2. MEET with your advisor by August 1 to discuss the IDP, review progress and set goals.  While the entire form should be completed by you and reviewed by your advisor, you and s/he might choose to focus your conversation on the sections that are most pressing or relevant for your needs. 
3. VERIFY by August 1 that the annual IDP meeting occurred.  You will enter the meeting date in the GST system (see instructions here); your thesis advisor will be prompted by email to confirm the meeting.     

There are three different IDP forms, tailored for students at different stages.  You can find all necessary IDP information and forms on the Office of Graduation website: https://oge.stanford.edu/academics/idp/ .

Qualifying Exam Part I

During the Summer Quarter of year one, first-year immunology graduate students are required to give a presentation on one of their three rotations to the Immunology Graduate Program committee (Qualifying Examination Process, Part I).  This usually takes place during the latter part of June.

Qualifying Exam Part II

In Autumn Quarter of the second year, students focus on preparing for Part II of the Qualifying Examination Process, the general oral examination and the Ph.D. thesis dissertation proposal. The Qualifying Exam Part II should be completed by December 17 of year 2. The student is required to pass the oral examination and write a thesis dissertation proposal which is presented to and evaluated by a qualifying examination committee composed of three faculty members, two of whom must be from the Immunology program faculty and the third faculty member may be from a department outside the program. The PhD advisor is not present for Part II but is required to submit an evaluation and grade for the PhD thesis dissertation written proposal. Upon successful completion of Part II, the student files a petition for PhD candidacy and form their reading dissertation committee.

Dissertation Proposal Committee Requirements: The members of the thesis committee are chosen by the student and the PhD advisor. The Qualifying Exam Committee is composed of three faculty members, two of whom must be from the Immunology program faculty and the third faculty member may be from a department outside the program. The thesis advisor is part of the committee but is not present for the qualifying examination. The student should work with the PhD advisor to identify a chair of the committee in advance of the defense.  The chair will be responsible for preparing a brief summary of the exam and providing this to the program administrator, the candidate and the PhD advisor after the exam is completed.

Guidelines for the Proposal Paper: For the written proposal, the student will follow the instructions for an NIH research F31 fellowship in terms of format. Failure to follow the NIH format, including exceeding font size (Arial 11 font), 0.5” margins, single space or page limits may result in the Committee’s decision to have the student rewrite the thesis before giving a passing grade. It is strongly recommended that the student work closely with the Committee, particularly the Faculty Advisor, in preparing a hypothesis-driven thesis proposal.  Students should review successful NIH grants prepared by Faculty members.

NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship

General Application Guide for NIH and Other PHS Agencies

Fellowship Instructions for NIH and Other PHS Agencies - Forms Version H Series

Title: 200 characters including spaces

1. Specific Aims (1 page) 

Content Guidance

State concisely the broader goals of the proposed research training project (for example, to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology).

List succinctly the specific objectives or aims of the research training project to be completed by the candidate during the funding period. Summarize the expected outcome(s). Include the potential impact that the results of the proposed research training project will have on the research field(s) involved.

2. Research Strategy (6 pages) 

Content Guidance

Significance

• Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress that the proposed project addresses.
• Describe the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research (both published and unpublished) that serves as the key support for the proposed project.
• Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.

Innovation

• Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms.
• Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.
• Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.

Approach

• Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project. Describe the experimental design and methods proposed and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted, and reference any Resource Sharing Plans and the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan, as appropriate. Resources and tools for rigorous experimental design can be found at the Enhancing Reproducibility through Rigor and Transparency website.
• For trials that randomize groups or deliver interventions to groups, describe how your methods for analysis and sample size are appropriate for your plans for participant assignment and intervention delivery. These methods can include a group- or cluster-randomized trial or an individually randomized group-treatment trial. Additional information is available at the Research Methods Resources webpage.
• Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.
• If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high-risk aspects of the proposed work.
• Explain how relevant biological variables, such as sex, are factored into research designs and analyses for studies in vertebrate animals and humans. For example, strong justification from the scientific literature, preliminary data, or other relevant considerations, must be provided for applications proposing to study only one sex. Refer to the NIH Guide Notice on Sex as a Biological Variable in NIH-funded Research for additional information.
• Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised. A full discussion on the use of select agents should appear in the Select Agent Research attachment below.
• If research on Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) is proposed but an approved cell line from the NIH hESC Registry cannot be chosen, provide a strong justification for why an appropriate cell line cannot be chosen from the registry at this time.

3. Literature Cited (No page limit)

Content Guidance

List the titles and complete references to all appropriate publications, manuscripts accepted for publication, patents, and other printed materials that have resulted from the project since it was last reviewed competitively.

4. Respective Contributions (1 page)

Content Guidance

Describe the collaborative process between you and your sponsor/co-sponsor(s) in the development, review, and editing of this Research Training Plan. Also discuss your respective roles in accomplishing the proposed research.

5. Selection of Sponsor and Institution (1 page)

Content Guidance

Explain why the sponsor, co-sponsor (if any), and institution were selected to accomplish the research training goals.

6. Applicant's Background and Goals for Fellowship Training (6 pages)

Content Guidance

This section highlights the applicant's educational, scientific, and professional experiences, relating them to the proposed training and long-term career goals.

A. Doctoral Dissertation and Research Experience

Briefly summarize your past research experience, results, and conclusions, and describe how that experience relates to the proposed fellowship. In some cases, a proposed fellowship may build directly on previous research experiences, results, and conclusions. In other situations, past research experiences may lead a candidate to apply for a fellowship in a new or different area of research. Do not list academic courses in this section.

Applicants with no research experience: Describe any other scientific experiences.

Advanced graduate students (i.e., those who have or will have completed their

comprehensive examinations by the time of award): Include a narrative of your planned doctoral dissertation (may be preliminary).

B. Training Goals and Objectives

• Describe your overall training goals for the duration of the fellowship and how the proposed fellowship will enable the attainment of these goals.
• Identify the skills, theories, conceptual approaches, etc., to be learned or enhanced during the award, including, as applicable, expertise in rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative approaches, and data analysis and interpretation, as applicable.
• Discuss how the proposed research will facilitate your transition to the next career stage.

C. Activities Planned Under this Award

The activities planned under this award should be individually tailored and well-integrated with your research project.

• Describe, by year, the activities (research, coursework, professional development, clinical activities, etc.) you will be involved in during the proposed award. Estimate the percentage of time to be devoted to each activity. The percentage should total 100 for each year.
• Describe the research skills and techniques that you intend to learn during the award period.
• Provide a timeline detailing the proposed research training, professional development, and clinical activities for the duration of the fellowship award. Detailed timelines of research activities involving animals, human subjects, or clinical trials are requested in other sections of the fellowship application and should not be included here. The timeline you provide here should be distinct from the Study Timeline in the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form.

7. Biosketch (5 pages)

Fellowship Biosketch and  Predoctoral Fellowship biosketch sample

If the qualifying exam proposal has multiple Specific Aims, then the student  may address Significance, Innovation and Approach for each Specific Aim individually, or may address Significance, Innovation and Approach for all of the Specific Aims collectively.

The student should include any preliminary studies that will help establish the appropriateness and feasibility of the thesis project. The student is expected to make use of the faculty advisor’s preliminary results if he/she has not already obtained a significant amount of preliminary results.

In light of the early deadline for the General Orals and Qualifying Examination, Dec 17th, a student’s thesis project may change several months after the dissertation proposal is defended. If such a change occurs, the student should inform his/her Thesis Committee by submitting a short, three-page written report describing the necessary changes. If no changes are necessary, then the student should proceed in a normal fashion, e.g., scheduling the thesis committee meeting a year later.

Oral Exam: The Oral Examination is intended to test the student on the proposed research area but may also include an examination on general immunology knowledge. The format of the Oral Examination typically begins with a presentation of the thesis proposal. Students should prepare a presentation of 45-50 minutes on the proposed research focusing on experimental design, data interpretation and potential problems. Preliminary data should be included. Faculty will question the student about the work, its interpretation, the methods, and background questions relevant to the proposal. The thesis mentor is not allowed to be present at the Oral Examination.

After the Oral Examination is completed the designated Chair of the Dissertation Proposal Committee and the thesis advisor will both provide a written evaluation (paragraph) and grade of the dissertation proposal. The Qualifying Exam Part II/Dissertation Thesis Proposal Form should be signed by all of the committee members and is available on http://med.stanford.edu/immunol/phd-program/resources.html. The evaluation will describe the strengths and weakness of the proposal. The letter grade will be entered into the university’s system and appear on the student’s transcript. A student receiving a grade lower than B, may be asked to rewrite the dissertation proposal. If the Dissertation Proposal Committee does not give a passing grade to the student’s rewritten version, then the Graduate Program Committee will meet to consider whether extenuating circumstances warrant permitting the student to be examined a second time. The second opportunity to take the Qualifying Exam should occur before the student’s third year begins. If so, the Graduate Program Committee will permit a second examination, or if he or she is given such an opportunity and fails the second examination, he or she will be dismissed from the Program. The dismissal shall be made in writing.

After successful completion of the Qualifying Examination, the student may apply for admission to Ph.D. candidacy (Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree PDF). Admission to Ph.D. candidacy means that the student has completed the Qualifying Examination Process (Parts I and II) and most of the course requirements of the Immunology Program and is now ready to begin thesis research leading to a dissertation and University oral exam. The Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form must be filled out and submitted to the Program Administrator at the end of the winter quarter of the second year. Timely submission of the Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree is an important graduate milestone and is required for certifying satisfactory degree progress for many fellowships, in particular the NSF and the SGF. The schedule will be adjusted to fit the needs of MOM, MSTP and MD/PhD students, or students who transfer from another program.  

A second important graduate form and milestone is the Dissertation Reading Committee Form, which is due before the end of the second year (Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee Form PDF). The student may wish to retain the members of his or her Thesis Committee; or if the project should change direction or if a different expertise is needed, the student may wish to consider changing the faculty membership for the Dissertation Reading Committee. The faculty members of the Dissertation Reading Committee are committed to guiding the student through the dissertation research project and will sign off on the final dissertation.

QUALIFYING EXAM Part II CHECKLIST

______       Student forms and confirms Quals Committee

______       Program Co-Directors and Administrator are notified of Quals Committee members

______       Student sets a date for qualifying exam that should be before Dec. 17 of Year 2.

______       Student notifies Program Administrators of exam date and time

______       Student reserves a room for the exam.

• Reserve the room for 2.5-3 hours
• Alway, CCSR, LKSC, or Beckman: http://med.stanford.edu/irt/classrooms/features
• Clark Center: https://biox.stanford.edu/about/building-services/room-scheduling
• BMI: Contact a Program Administrator
• Contact the Program Administrators if assistance is needed

______       Student notifies Quals Committee and Program Administrators of exam location

______       No later than 3 weeks prior to the exam, student confirms the Quals Chair and notifies the Program Administrators

______       2 weeks prior to the scheduled exam date, student emails the written proposal to the Quals Committee and Program Administrators. Failing to email this document 2 weeks in advance may result in committee opting to reschedule the exam.

______       On exam day: Student brings the following forms to the exam in order to easily obtain the required signatures: Immunology Program Qualifying Exam Form, Application for Candidacy, Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee Form, and Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members Form (a student may only have one Non-Academic Council member on their committee).

______       Within one week of the Qualifying Exam date: Student submits all completed and signed forms to the Program Administrator, who will record the milestones in Axess.

Advancing to Candidacy

After successful completion of the Qualifying Examination, the student should apply for admission to PhD candidacy using the Application for Candidacy form (https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Db_0Y2pFRuY42nHY4z0AWYgJyoEVqtL/view).

Admission to PhD candidacy means that the student has completed the Qualifying Examination and most of the course requirements of the Immunology Program and is now ready to begin thesis research leading to a dissertation and University oral exam. The Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form must be filled out and submitted to the Program Administrator by the end of the spring quarter of the second year; timely submission of graduate paperwork is required for certifying satisfactory degree progress for many fellowships, in particular the NSF and the SGF.

MSTP students are expected to complete their department qualifying procedures and apply for admission to candidacy by the end of their G1 (first formal year) in the Ph.D. program. Because MSTP students do not do multiple formal rotations, they are considered more advanced in their progress than their PhD-only colleagues. Extensions of this timeline require permission from the MSTP Director Advisor.

The schedule will be adjusted to fit the needs of students who transfer from another program.

Committee Meetings

Graduate students are required by the University, Biosciences, and the Immunology Program to hold annual committee meetings. Not satisfying this requirement can result in a Petition to Defend to be denied.

Usually, this committee consists of 2-3 faculty members selected by you in discussion with your PhD advisor. At least two of the committee members (including your advisor), must be members of the Immunology program faculty. Use these meetings to take a step back from day-to-day research, discuss your ideas, and receive feedback.

• 3^rd year: meet with your thesis committee
• 4^th and 5^th years: will need to have committee meetings twice a year until degree completion
• 5^th years and beyond: you may request a faculty member of the Graduate Program Committee to be present at these committee meetings

Best practices for arranging committee meetings are:

• Request a meeting at least 1-2 months in advance
• Send a Doodle calendar request or similar to your committee members
• The University Registrar requires graduate students to meet with their thesis committees as a group and not one-on-one. This best practice avoids miscommunication
• Annual meetings should be held regardless of obstacles in research progress
• If you find a committee member is hard to schedule, you may want to consider replacing that person

The Annual Committee Meeting Form should be filled out and signed by all of the committee members in attendance at each meeting (https://drive.google.com/file/d/118ZBGRwEg5Syowm81UTL61ZTkqMfxITw/view). Students should send the completed and signed form to Lina Hansen lhansen@stanford.edu. Dates of committee meetings for all immunology graduate students are reported to the Registrar and entered in GST.

MSTP students must include a member of the MSTP participating faculty on their thesis committee. PhD thesis advisors are contacted directly by the MSTP Directors to discuss what is expected, in addition to the materials provided to all advisors by MSTP administrators. Thesis committee composition should be discussed with the MSTP Director Advisor before finalization and by the end of Spring Quarter of the G1 year.

Going TGR

Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) allows students to register at a significantly reduced tuition rate while they work on the dissertation or thesis, or department project. The typical student will near TGR status in Spring quarter of the 4th year of study. Assuming a student successfully completes 10 units per quarter, they will have completed 140 units at the end of winter quarter of the 4th year. The University requires a total of 135 residency units to be completed for eligibility to apply for TGR status.

Eligibility and Timing

To be eligible for TGR, you must have:

1. Completed at least 135 units prior to starting the TGR quarter, and completed all residency requirements for both your active and completed degree programs
2. Completed all course requirements, including the courses that you listed on your Application for Doctoral Candidacy (or had any changes approved by the Program Chair)
3. Submitted your Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee (DDRC) form

The timing for each student may be different; as such, it’s important that you track your own progress and keep tabs on how many units you have/will complete, and when you will be eligible for TGR. It is ultimately each student’s responsibility to know where they stand with regard to degree progress. This includes keeping track of GNRs (Grades Not Received) and working with your advisor and Program Administrators to get those cleared. GNRs will prevent your TGR status from being approved by the Registrar’s Office, so it is important to address them sooner rather than later.

Withdrawing from a course, receiving No Credit for a course, or having a grade not reported by an instructor will all affect your Cumulative Unit Count, and your eligibility for TGR status. As such, it is important that you review your own transcript. A student in this situation may consider requesting Reduced Tuition from the Registrar; this status allows a student to register for 3-7 units for the one quarter prior to being on TGR status.

• This is not an option for students on an F-1 or J-1 visa, and those who may have existing student loans, as a drop to below normal full-time registration status may be problematic.

Please note: While it may seem like a good idea to register for more than 10 units a quarter in order to reach TGR status sooner, doing so will increase tuition costs by about $5,000 per quarter, and your funding sources (Training Grant, NSF, SGF) won’t cover that level of tuition spending.

MSTP Students do not go “TGR.” Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) is for PhD-only students. TGR is a registration classification and there is a special course for PhD-only students. TMR is for MD students and is a reduced tuition rate. MD students classified as MD RR can register for courses; PhD students cannot take coursework when registered TGR.

TGR CHECKLIST

How to Apply for TGR Status

The petition for TGR status must be submitted to the Registrar’s office by the Preliminary Study List deadline of the quarter you are wanting to go TGR. The form becomes available when enrollment opens for the quarter you are trying to go TGR.

______       Check for completion of at least 135 units prior to the term in which you will be on TGR status. Look at your transcript; your Earned Unit Cumulative Total at the very end of the transcript must be at least 135 and the transcript should not have any GNRs

______       Check for completion of all Immunology course requirements (Core Requirements, Journal Club, TAships, advanced courses, and area requirements and statistics as applicable).

______       Complete the TGR Request form on Stanford eForms. Log in to Axess, click on the Student tab, and choose “Student eForms” from the Quick Links menu. Click on “Available Forms” to find student forms.  

______       Enroll in both Immunol 399 (for however many units you need to be at 10 units total) and Immunol 802 for 0 units; you will then drop Immunol 399 once you have been approved

______       After a decision is made on your request, you’ll get instructions from the Registrar. We don’t receive notification of this status, so please let us know when you’ve been approved

______       If you do not receive an email, the Registrar did not receive your form and you are not on TGR status. You should follow up immediately, as this could mean that you will be charged full tuition rather than TGR tuition, which could result in an outstanding balance on your account.

Registering Under TGR Status

Once TGR status has been approved:

______       Do not register for research units (Immunol 399) after you have been approved to go TGR, going forward you should only register for Immunol 802 for 0 units

______       If you have co-mentors, you should only register under one mentor per quarter – registering under both will result in a higher tuition charge

______       You can take up to 3 units of coursework without additional charge but should always be registered for Immunol 802

Finishing up: The Final Year

Please become familiar with all of the dates and deadlines regarding your oral defense, submitting your dissertation, and submitting required forms and paperwork. Under no circumstances are extensions granted, and missing deadlines can mean that you don’t graduate as planned.

MSTP Students are required to complete and defend their PhD dissertation prior to returning to clinical clerkship training.

The Final Countdown

There are several administrative hurdles to finishing your degree:

• No GNRs on your transcript
• All course and non-course milestones completed
• First Author paper submitted for publication (T32 acknowledged)
• Approval of your Petition to Defend
• Defending your dissertation
• Applying to graduate
• Submitting your dissertation

With some advanced planning, it is possible for all steps to be completed in one quarter. Some students make an arrangement with their mentor to take the quarter after their defense to complete work on, and submit, their dissertation. This is called a “Graduation Quarter.” During Graduation Quarter your tuition will be reduced to $150 for one quarter only, which leaves your mentor only covering this reduced tuition, your research salary and Campus Health Service Fee. You must have applied to graduate in Axess in order to apply for the Graduation Quarter.

• Complete the Graduation Quarter Petition form on Stanford eForms. Log in to Axess, click on the Student tab, and choose “Student eForms” from the Quick Links menu. Click on “Available Forms” to find student forms.

It is rare for MSTP students to take a “graduate” or “writing” quarter. Stanford has a quarter with reduced tuition sometimes called a “grad” or dissertation “writing” quarter. MD-PhD students cannot take a grad/writing quarter unless they are completely done with both the PhD and the MD degrees. This is rare and if you are planning residency as a next step, it would conflict with the start of your residency (usually June).

First Author Paper Submission

By the fourth or fifth year, graduate students are expected to submit a first author primary research paper for publication to a peer-reviewed journal. This milestone must be completed before defending a Ph.D. dissertation and you won’t be approved to defend if this milestone is not completed. All submissions from trainees must acknowledge the T32AI007290, even if they are not on the training grant at the time.

Doctoral Dissertation

Before embarking on the dissertation defense process, the graduate student must submit a Petition to Defend to one of the Co-Directors of the Immunology Graduate Program and meet with the Co-Directors.  Important milestones and degree requirements must be met before proceeding to the oral examination including submission or publication of a first author manuscript. A substantial draft of the dissertation must be turned in to the student's oral examination committee at least 2 weeks before the oral exam is scheduled to take place. Prior to the PhD orals defense, an orals chair is chosen to lead the orals committee, which is a distinct committee, but the basic membership is identical to that of the dissertation reading committee.

University Oral Examination Form Policy

The chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the advisor's or student's department but may have a courtesy appointment in the department. The chair can be from the same department as any other member(s) of the examination committee and can be from the student's minor department provided that the student's advisor does not have a full or joint appointment in the minor department.

For Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (IDPs), the chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the primary advisor’s major department and must have independence from the student and advisor and the IDP Director is not eligible to serve as the chair.

In the case of large departments such as Medicine, the Departmental Division of the Chair must not be shared by the advisor. The correct number of faculty committee members for the orals committee is at least four but no more than five. For students with two PhD thesis co-advisors, the number of faculty committee members is also a maximum of five. The final written dissertation must be approved by the student's reading committee and submitted to the Registrar's Office. Upon completion of this final requirement, a student is eligible for conferral of the PhD degree.

Timing of the Dissertation Defense

All of your committee members (including the chair, see Dissertation Defense Instructions for more information) must be present at your oral defense, so this date may hinge largely on when they are available. The Orals Chair and your Advisor must be physically present for the Defense, while the remaining committee members may Zoom in if prevented from attending physically. In addition, if you plan to defend, submit your dissertation, and graduate during the same quarter, you want to allow enough time after the defense to complete, format, and submit your dissertation – and submit all required graduation forms - in accordance with posted deadlines.

Timing of the Application to Graduate

You must file a Notice of Intention to Graduate (“Apply to Graduate”) through AXESS for the quarter you complete the degree requirements. If you do not finish in time, you will need to annul the initial Intention to Graduate and submit a new one for the quarter in which you intend to finish. There are no exceptions for missed deadlines and it is a hard and fast University rule.

If you miss the standard Application to Graduate deadline, there is also a Late Application deadline, with a fee that you will be responsible for paying:  https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-academics/graduation/how-do-i-apply-graduate

Withdrawing an Application to Graduate

If you apply to graduate but are not able to submit your dissertation by the deadline, you will need to withdraw your application to graduate for that quarter via Axess. You must submit an Emergency Request to Withdrawn an Application to Graduate ticket.

This form must be submitted to the Registrar’s office no later than 12:00 pm (noon) on the day of the dissertation submission deadline. If you withdraw your application to graduate, be sure to ask the Registrar if you are required to submit a new Application to Graduate in the subsequent quarter.

Timing of the Dissertation Submission

It’s extremely important to consider the timing surrounding submitting your dissertation. You want to allow enough time after your oral defense to incorporate any resulting changes and finish the written dissertation in time for the submission and approval deadline. If your oral defense is well in advance of the deadline to submit the dissertation, you’ll have plenty of time to make revisions. If your oral defense date is close to that quarter’s dissertation submission deadline, you may not have enough time to finish the dissertation. If you find yourself in a pinch for time, it would make sense to talk with your mentor about arranging for a “graduation quarter” as described above and withdrawing your application to graduate if you’ve already submitted it.

Degree Conferral and Statement of Completion

In order to have your degree conferred, you must have completed all the University and Department requirements and submitted all work before the deadlines. The University imposes requirements such as submission of official scores and transcripts, payment of fees, return of library books, etc., that the Immunology Program has no control over and sometimes no knowledge of. Please pay attention to the messages, letters, and notes you receive and respond to them in a timely manner.

Degrees are officially conferred weeks after the end of a given quarter. Transcripts will reflect your degree conferral the day after degrees are posted. Electronic Degree Certifications are available through Axess starting the day after degrees are posted. One week after conferral, verification is provided to the National Student Clearinghouse. Any third party (your employer, insurance company, etc.) may request confirmation of degree conferral by contacting National Student Clearinghouse online or at (703) 742-4200. Paper Degree Certifications are available through our Online Document Portal starting the day after conferral with a processing time of 5 business days. FedEx options with tracking available.

In the interim, PhD students often need what is called a Statement of Completion. This is a letter from the University Registrar confirming that a student has submitted a dissertation and will be recommended for a degree by the Faculty Senate. Students typically use this for postdoctoral appointments or to obtain employment before their degree is actually conferred.

To obtain a Statement of Completion, you must first submit your dissertation in the Axess Dissertation & Thesis Center. The submission needs to be approved by both the Final Reader and the university.

When your submission is approved by the university, you are immediately sent an email notification directing you to return to your Dissertation & Thesis Center in Axess where you can access the letter online via an available link.

For more detail about a Statement of Completion, see Certifications and Verifications.

DISSERTATION DEFENSE CHECKLIST

Make Initial Arrangements

______       Submit a Petition to Defend to a Co-Director of the Immunology Program and plan to meet in person. Once the Petition to Defend is approved, students may proceed with the dissertation defense process.

______       Make sure that you have a first-author manuscript that has been submitted, is in press, or has been published. (Remember the T32 must be acknowledged)

______       Schedule the orals at least two months prior to the anticipated date to accommodate the committee members’ schedule. Inform the Program Administrator and Drs. Martinez and Bendall of the date. You should plan on one hour for a public presentation, including time for questions from the audience, followed by 30-90 minutes of closed session with your committee, leading to a vote.

• Reserve rooms for 2 hours
• Clark Center: https://biox.stanford.edu/about/building-services/room-scheduling
• Alway, CCSR, LKSC, or Beckman: http://med.stanford.edu/irt/edtech/classrooms/features.html
• BMI: Contact a Program Administrator
• Contact the Program Administrators if assistance is needed

Oral Examination Chair

Students should confirm the Orals Examination chair no later than three weeks prior to the defense date.

The role of the Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense) chair is similar to that of the qualifying exam chair; they oversee the proceedings. The chair sets the tone and organization of the oral exam, i.e., order of questioning, timing of questioning, leads the discussion when student has left the room, provides ballots for a secret vote, signs the Oral Examination Form at the end of the meeting, and may write up a brief report for the program co-directors and administrator stating that the student has passed. The chair is allowed to participate in the scientific discussion but is not required to do so.

Things to note when selecting your oral examination chair:

1. The responsibility of selecting a chairperson for your oral exam falls on the student, with advice from the mentor.
2. The orals chair cannot be someone who is already part of your committee.
3. The orals chair must be a member of the Academic Council; faculty with University Medical Line (UML) appointments cannot serve as Oral Exam chairs.
4. The Oral Exam chair cannot have a primary appointment in the same department as the thesis advisor/mentor(s). A[3] [4]  courtesy appointment in that department is fine.
5. In the end, the orals committee will consist of: The mentor (or co-mentors), 2-3 Readers, and 1 Committee Chair[5] . The Orals committee should have a maximum of 5 members

(No later than) Three Weeks Prior to Defense Day

______       Send program administrators the following information:

1.          Defense Information: Date, Time, Location, and Title of the thesis (for publicity purposes).

2.          Flyer to be distributed and posted on the Immunology website

3.          Name of the oral examination chair

4.          Completed University Oral Examination Form (without signatures)

5.          One-page abstract of the dissertation

______       Send a reminder to all members of your committee and confirm that they will be present; Program Administrators will send the first announcement of your defense to Immunology List.

Two Weeks Prior to Defense Day

______       Submit your complete dissertation to the entire orals committee (including the chair). The student’s dissertation advisor should read and approve the dissertation document before it is sent to the committee.

______       Program Administrators will email all related documents to your oral examination chair that including your abstract, Oral Examination Form, voting ballots (done via Google Forms for virtual defenses), instructions on how to lead the defense/meeting, and what to do with the Oral Examination Form after the defense

______       Practice presentation

______       Only one slide (and 2-3 minutes of comments) should be included for personal acknowledgements

______       Check audiovisual setup for the defense room or for Zoom defense

______       Program Administrators will send email announcement of defense

One Week Prior to Defense Day

______       Program Administrators will send a reminder announcement of your defense to the Immunology List.

On Defense Day

______       Orals committee chair brings the packet (with Orals Form) to the defense

______       All members of your committee must be physically or virtually present for the entire public portion, and the private portion, of your defense. If a committee member is not present, you will not be able to graduate and will need to reschedule your defense. The Orals Chair must be physically present in the room with the defending student.

After Dissertation Defense

______       Have your orals chair sign the University Oral Examination Form and return the form and chair packet to the Program Administrators by the next business day. They will enter the Oral Examination Milestone as completed in Axess.

______       Apply to graduate (or for a Graduation Quarter) by the Registrar’s deadline

______       Finish dissertation

______       The Registrar’s Office created a new Reading Committee Page eForm.  This new procedure should be used by all PhD students to virtually gather signatures from each individual reading committee member and will enable them to fully satisfy both the title page and reading committee signature page requirements.  Students will need to provide documentation of an email to each individual reader, asking for approval of their signature page, and then upload the email approval from each reader to the eForm platform. Uploading the Dissertation Reading Committee Form is not accepted.

Before the eForm is submitted, students must first confirm the departmentally approved reading committee members are correctly listed in Item 2 "Confirm Reading Committee" as shown on the eDissertation/eThesis Center.

If the committee is not correctly listed, such as a missing committee member or a committee member that should be removed or simply no reading committee members are listed in Axess, students should contact their department Student Services Officer to have the information updated before beginning the eForm process. Without successful completion of the eForm, students will not be able to clear Item 3, "Signature Page Submitted,’" as shown on the Axess eDissertation/eThesis Center pages.

Instructions may be found on: https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-academics/earn-my-degree/graduate-degree-progress/dissertations-and-theses

______       Celebrate!

General Policy

Students admitted to the program are offered financial support for tuition, a living stipend, health insurance coverage for those not on outside insurance, and for first-year graduate students, a small allowance for tech funds. Eligible applicants are required to apply for the National Institutes of Health F31 Fellowship.  Other fellowships that eligible students are encouraged to apply for include the National Science Foundation (NSF) or National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships. NSF Fellowship applications are due in October of the year prior to matriculation in the graduate program, and only one more NSF application is permitted in the first or second year. F31 fellowships should be submitted in Year 2 and no later than Year 3.   Immunology graduate students should continue, and are strongly encouraged, to apply for outside fellowships after matriculation. Students not eligible for national PhD fellowships will be encouraged to submit a primary research grant with their thesis supervisor instead (i.e., R21 or R01).  Admitted students are typically offered financial support in the form of Stanford Graduate Fellowships, NIH traineeships, or research assistantships.

Direct Deposit

Axess (http://axess.stanford.edu/) is the primary link for funding information and other sites relevant to a student’s academic career at Stanford. After receiving a SUNet ID, students visit Axess to securely enroll in direct deposit, view pay statements and declare state and federal tax withholding allowances.

Fellowship stipends are supplemented up to the approved stipend level if the fellowship does not provide enough funds to reach the minimum stipend amount set by the School of Medicine. Salary/bi-weekly payments usually have taxes withdrawn whereas stipends do not; a student will receive a bi-weekly paycheck as a supplement to a research assistantship beginning in their-5th year, if going onto PI funding. Below is a typical funding schedule (Funding Timeline).

Fellowships for Graduate Students

Eligible first- and second-year PhD students will be appointed to the Immunology Training Grant for the first year. Beyond that, students will be funded with non-NIH sources. All eligible second and third-year PhD students are required to apply for an NIH F31 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. Please see the NIH website for deadlines.

Eligible students in their third year and beyond are expected to apply for other fellowships. These include (but are not limited to) SGIF, Mason Case, BIO-X, ASH, DoD and NDSEG fellowships.

Students are encouraged to consult their faculty advisors when preparing fellowship applications.

For a comprehensive listing of fellowships, please visit the Stanford School of Medicine Research Management Group page: https://med.stanford.edu/rmg/funding.html.

Charges/Fees

Charges are the primary component of the university bill. Charges are compiled from various offices and departments and placed on the bill. Examples of charges a student may see on the university bill:

• Tuition fees. These charges depend on the number of units taken. The Immunology program will process payments for tuition fees (not to exceed the 10-unit tuition rate).
• Housing, room and dining charges. These fees are charged by Residential & Dining Enterprises. Other housing charges may include early arrival fees, repair fees and termination of occupancy fees. The Immunology program does NOT cover housing costs. If a student would like to have housing costs deducted from their paycheck it is the student’s responsibility to set up the deductions. For more information on payroll deductions please see https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-finances/understand-your-student-bill-payment-system/make-payment/payroll-deduction-plan
• Health Insurance (Cardinal Care) fee. All registered students are automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care Insurance at the beginning of Autumn Quarter and are enrolled for the whole academic year. Cardinal Care is covered by University funds. The Immunology program does not pay for student health insurance out of Program Funds. You may decide to waive Cardinal Care if you have alternative coverage. See Request a Waiver from Cardinal Care for domestic and international students.
• Campus Health Services fee. This fee supports many of the services provided by Vaden Health Center and is mandatory for all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Stanford. The services provided by Vaden Health Center are not covered by health insurance (Cardinal Care) fees. The Immunology Program will cover the Campus Health Service Fee for the first 4 years (unless the student has a fellowship that covers the CHS Fee, e.g. NSF), starting in Year 5 and beyond, the CHS Fee becomes the responsibility of the student’s Advisor.

Tax Information This is not tax advice!

Graduate students are supported by fellowship stipends or research assistantships. More information regarding the Student Graduate Financial payroll systems can be found on:

https://fingate.stanford.edu/paying-people/student-payments-graduate-and-undergraduate.

This website provides information on how to read and understand your university bill, tax information, payroll for graduate students on research assistantships.

1.          If you are primarily supported by a fellowship, you are receiving a quarterly stipend. Stipend checks are usually issued the day before classes. Stanford does not withhold tax on quarterly stipends. The amount of tax varies according to total income, dependency status, treaty status for international students, and individual circumstances. The student is responsible for making quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS and California’s state tax board. Students who are currently paying for their own tuition are issued a 1098T, which allows them to claim educational tax credits. You should NOT use the 1098T for tax purposes as your stipend and tuition are entirely covered by fellowship funds.

2.          Students on RA salary are paid on the 7th and 22nd of the month (or on the preceding workday if these dates fall on a weekend or holiday). The first RA Salary payment of Autumn Quarter is on October 22^nd, so please plan accordingly. Federal and state taxes from research assistantships should be filed on April 15th. Students can fill out an on-line W-4 application through Student AXESS. At the end of January, a W2 is sent annually to students supported by bi-weekly pay.

3.         International students may contact Bechtel to see what tax assistance resources are available. Instead of a 1098-T, international students will receive a 1099-T (stipend pay) or 1042-S (bi-weekly pay). Fellowship stipends paid to non-U.S. residents are subject to a 14% withholding, regardless of the number of dependents.

The Office of Student Financial Services offers more tax information through their website: https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-finances. To be absolutely certain about how to file your taxes, please consult a tax professional. The Immunology Program staff is not allowed to advise any students on their taxes and do not have access to RA salary paycheck amounts, only the total that should be paid out per quarter/academic year.

Other Funding Resources

• Funding and Training Opportunities – Provides a list of External Fellowship and Grants and Stanford Fellowship and Training Programs
• Graduate Cash Advance – Helps graduate students with expenses before their graduate financial support is posted to their student account and/or TA/RA salary is paid
• Graduate Student Aid Fund – Assists with University fees (i.e., health services fee, health insurance)
• Graduate Emergency Grant-in-Aid Funds – If graduate students experience an unexpected financial hardship (e.g., medical, legal), it is possible to apply for grant-in-aid (small grants, not loans)
• Biosciences Hardship Program - Funds from this program are intended to assist with addressing the needs of students who are experiencing a financial hardship related to the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area or other factors.
• Financial Aid Office – Information and application forms for federally subsidized student loans
• 1:1 Financial Coaching – Mind Over Money’s 1:1 financial coaching program provides students with the opportunity to share their personal financial circumstance with university-trusted individuals and explore ideas and build skills
• Graduate Housing Loan – assists with move-in costs for off-campus housing
• Office of Graduate Education Travel Grant Program – defray conference fees including registration, travel, lodging, and food
• Student Budget – provides estimated expenses
• Bechtel – provides information on on-campus employment, CPT, OPT, internships and tax information for international students
• Student Financial Services – provides information about the bill, tax information, third party sponsor invoicing, etc.
• Mind Over Money – free online literacy tool
• School of Humanities & Sciences website – information about graduate awards & fellowships
• VPGE – provides information about graduate fellowships
• Gateway to Financial Activities – provides administrative resources (e.g., sign-up for direct deposit, tax treaty information)

Rotation Evaluations – Students are expected to provide a rotation evaluation at the end of each rotation. Evaluation forms are available via the program’s site: https://med.stanford.edu/immunol/phd-program/resources.html.  

You can find information about our faculty's research interests on the faculty directory page.

FAQs

1.         How do you find a lab to rotate in?

The first step is to identify faculty members and labs where the research is of interest to you. You can find information on Immunology Graduate Training Faculty who are recruiting students and their research interests at the end of this Handbook and at: https://med.stanford.edu/immunol/people/meet-faculty.html#graduate_trainingfacultyrecruitinggraduatestudentsfor2025-26. It is a good idea to identify 3-5 labs of interest as soon as possible. Current graduate students are a good source of information about the research interests and styles of individual labs. Drs. Martinez and Bendall will provide guidance in identifying or choosing a lab to rotate in and you can also contact members of the Graduate Program Committee. Opportunities will be provided during the fall for you to meet faculty, including research talks at the Immunology retreat, and lunch talks with faculty. You are encouraged to explore many options for lab rotations.

2.          When and how do you ask a faculty member if you can rotate in their lab?

It’s easiest to email the faculty member, tell them you are interested in rotating in their lab, and ask if they are taking rotation students. If so, arrange to meet with the faculty member to discuss a potential rotation. At the meeting, you should discuss why you are interested in the lab and possible rotation projects. If you haven’t already arranged your first rotation when you arrive for Orientation, you should start the process immediately. To arrange rotations for winter and spring quarters it is best to begin talking to faculty members about rotating by week 8 or 9 of the prior Quarter. Incoming students should confer with Drs. Martinez and Bendall prior to arranging Autumn rotations.

3.          What should you expect to accomplish in your rotation?

The lab rotation is a chance to get familiar with the lab and to help you determine if it is a good fit for you. During your rotation, you should plan to spend most of the time that you are not in class, in the lab. If you do this, by the end of the Quarter you will have a good sense of the research going on in the lab and dissertation projects you might be interested in as well as the culture and dynamics of the lab, and the mentorship style of the Faculty member.  These are all important aspects of helping you choose a lab. As a guideline, you are expected to make sufficient progress on your rotation project to give a 15-minute presentation to the Graduate Program Committee on your rotation research – you will be asked to present the work from one of your rotations to the Graduate Program Committee in June. Your rotation advisor will also expect you to present your work to the lab at the end of your rotation.

4.          How many rotations should you do?

We require students to rotate in three labs (for a duration of at least 6 weeks each) so that by June of their first year they are ready to choose a lab for their dissertation research. At least two of these rotations must be in Immunology labs. In some cases, students may wish to do a fourth rotation in the summer of their first year before choosing a lab.

5.          What if you know the lab you are rotating in isn’t for you?

Sometimes you know immediately that the lab just isn’t a right fit for you and that is okay. In this case, it is important to advise Drs. Martinez and Bendall and look for a new rotation. Rotations are for you to find the lab that is the best fit for you.

Rotation advice:

• Set up your rotations as early as possible.
• Talk to as many faculty (principal investigators, PIs) as possible, both about their work and the work of other potential labs.
• Attend multiple lab meetings in various labs of interest. This allows you to see the culture of the lab without committing to a full rotation. Also, you will be able to see the current status and future directions of many projects in the lab. Lab meetings are the best place to get the most current scoop on the PI’s research.
• Talk to other students in the program about lab options.
• Don’t be afraid to expose yourself to new and different areas of immunology that may appeal to you.

Advice on choosing a thesis lab

Your dissertation lab is where you'll be spending a lot of time over the next few years, so do your best to find a place that feels comfortable for you. Important components of finding a good fit include the mentorship style of the PI and the scientific questions being addressed in the lab. Gain information by talking to as many current and former lab members, other students, and PIs to get information about a lab.

Typical questions to ask others and yourself when choosing a lab include:

What is the PI's mentoring style? PI’s philosophy in dealing with people and publishing papers?

How does the PI choose and distribute projects among lab members, and the role the student plays in decision-making?

How much time does the PI spend with lab members?

How much time is the PI away from the lab for travel or clinical responsibilities?

Does the PI help his/her people get good postdoc positions/jobs? Does s/he give career advice? Where and what type of positions have lab alumni obtained?

How does the PI handle collaborations?

What is the student: postdoc ratio? Few students and many postdocs have a different feel than many students and few post docs.

What the lab's publication record, especially for graduate students?  Have there been authorship conflicts? If so, why?

How supportive is the PI of lifestyle choices (spouse, children, and other important non-lab commitments)?

Are the people in the lab happy? Do they get along well and work together?

How many hours do people work in the lab?

What is the financial situation of the lab?

What is the average time to complete a PhD degree in the lab?

Requirements for Second Year

MCTI students must complete all core course requirements by the end of their second year; the student's dissertation committee is responsible for advising the student through the research and other courses as needed towards the completion of the PhD dissertation. Elective courses are agreed upon by the student, advisor, PhD Program Co-Directors, and dissertation committee. These courses may be chosen from graduate courses and seminars in any of the biomedical science departments and programs. (Elective courses not taken on the list)

Graduate students beyond the first year are required to attend at least 50% of the Immunology Seminars each quarter.

Students looking into TAing during their second year should refer to the Teaching Assistantships section.

Immunology Teaching Assistantship (TA) Requirements:

All Immunology graduate students are required to do two TAships starting their second year in the program. Students must have completed their second TAship by the beginning of their fifth year.

All Students are required to do one TAship from “List A” and one from “List B”, a total of 2 TAships during years 2-4. If you haven’t done a TAship from both lists, you will not be approved for TGR status. Students who are TAing should enroll in IMMUNOL 290, Teaching in Immunology.

Any requests to deviate from the lists below, will have to be approved by the Program Co-Director, Drs. Martinez and Bendall.

MSTP students are only required to a TAship from List A, as they have usually completed a Medicine Course Teaching Assistantship prior to joining the Immunology Program. MSTP students must complete the List A TAship before returning to clerkships, if it is not completed the requirement will be considered incomplete. There is no exemption for this.

A survey will be sent out asking for interest in TAing the courses listed above. The TA positions will be assigned based on who needs to fulfill their “List A” requirement. Please remember when choosing your  wish list, completing your “List A” TAship should take precedence. Doing multiple List B TAships will not be accepted as a substitute for the List A requirement.

TAs completing a List A TAship will be paid a TA salary (10 hr/week).

Paid Student Positions that do not meet TAship requirements:

Immunology Seminar Series (Immunol 311)

Immunology Admissions Week Chairs

TA selection process:

1.          Each spring students are asked to provide their preferences for TAships for the upcoming academic year.

2.          The Program Administrator and Chair of the Graduate Program Committee reviews student TAship requests and selects and matches the students to the appropriate courses based on the following criteria:

a.            Which students need to complete their TAship requirements

b.            Student’s ranked preference

c.             Completion of the CTL teaching assistantship orientation, through workshop or on-line course

d.            Course Instructor input on TA selection is also considered

3.          TAships are usually completed by the 4th year of graduate study. The fifth year will be dedicated mainly to completing PhD research and submitting a required first author publication.

4.          Results of the TA match system will be announced in late summer for students and their PhD advisors, and the course directors.

The McDevitt Award

The Hugh McDevitt Award recognizes and awards a graduating PhD candidate in the Immunology Program for excellence in their doctoral dissertation research. The McDevitt Award winner is chosen from a group of candidates who have defended and submitted their thesis to the Registrar in a given academic year. The criteria for selection are that the candidate's doctoral research is judged by the Graduate Program Committee to be of the highest quality in immunological research. The winner is announced during the Annual Immunology Program Retreat. They will receive a certificate and $1,000.

The Jones Award

The Pat Jones Award recognizes and awards a current PhD student in the Immunology Program for excellence in their instructional roles in the classroom and/or the laboratory. Any member of the Immunology community can nominate a current Immunology PhD student for this award, including self-nominations. A call for nominations will occur in the beginning of the fall quarter and will remain open until the end of Week 3. The criteria for selection are that the student’s teaching and mentoring is judged by the Graduate Program Committee to be of the highest quality. The winner is announced during the Annual Immunology Program Retreat. They will receive a certificate and $1,000.

The Service Award

The Immunology Service Award recognizes and awards a current PhD student in the Immunology Program who has repeatedly demonstrated an exceptional commitment towards service. Any member of the Immunology community can nominate a current Immunology PhD student for this award, including self-nominations. A call for nominations will occur in the beginning of the fall quarter and will remain open until the end of Week 3. The criteria for selection are that the student’s service to the program, university, and/or broader community is judged by the Graduate Program Committee to be of the highest quality and impact. The winner is announced during the Annual Immunology Program Retreat. They will receive a certificate and $1,000.

Leadership Opportunities

The Immunology Program encourages student involvement and feedback to improve the quality of academic and social experiences. A survey will be sent out asking for nominations (students may self-nominate) for the following student positions.

• Student Director for Immunology Seminars: Filipe Araujo Hoffmann
• Student Representative to the Executive Committee: TBD
• Student Representative to the Graduate Program Committee: Radeesha Jayewickreme
• Student Representatives to the Admissions Committee: John Soro and Soyeon Kim
• First-year Advising Committee:  Katie Fang and Chris Provido
• Biosciences Admissions Week: Nate Bloom and Sonia Presti
• CDIII (Community, Diversity and Inclusion in Immunology): Radeesha Jayewickreme, Marcos Labrado, and Chris Provido; Yujung Park (alternate)
• Social Chair Representative: Jumana Afaghani
• Science in Progress Talks Organizer: Norma Gutierrez
• Startup 2025 Representatives: Evan Maestri and Amanda Verzosa

Program Activities/Events

Visit the Immunology Program Seminars & Events page for updated schedules and speakers: https://med.stanford.edu/immunol/seminars-events.html

Immunology Seminar Series

Graduate seminars are normally held on Tuesdays at 4:30-5:30pm and are an important means of attaining a broad and comprehensive exposure to all areas in immunology as well as gaining a professional perspective and competence in the field. First-year students are required to attend all immunology seminars (IMMUNOL 311 Seminar in Immunology). Students in their second year and above are required to attend 50% of the seminar series each academic year until the last quarter in which their Ph.D. oral defense takes place. Attendance is mandatory and lack thereof can result in a denial of the Petition to Defend.

Science-in-Progress (SIP) Talks: The SIP format features in person research presentations by both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to the immunology community. The purpose of a Science-in-Progress talk is to gain more practice in presentation skills, to present your work to the immunology community, and to get useful feedback on both your presentation and your work. The SIP Talks are scheduled from Autumn Quarter 2025 through Summer Quarter 2026 and are held on Wednesdays during the lunch hour. Students are required to present one SIP and it is a program milestone that has to be completed before applying to defend.

Graduate Student Journal Club: Both MCTI and CSI students are required to attend the IMMUNOL 305 Immunology Journal Club for their first through third years. Attendance is optional for fourth year and above graduate students. Journal Clubs are held Tuesdays at 3:15-4:15 pm from Autumn through Spring during 2025-26 to gain practice in oral presentation skills and to learn to present and fairly critique a published paper in some area of immunology[5] . Faculty are encouraged to attend Journal Club.

Faculty Research Presentations: Faculty teaching in the Immunology Program have the opportunity to meet and talk to First Years about their lab’s research. The meetings are helpful in the cohort’s search for rotation labs. The meetings are held on Thursdays at 12:30-1:30pm during the Autumn and Winter Quarters.

Annual Immunology Scientific Conference: In the Autumn Quarter, the Annual Scientific Conference is held, and is attended by students, staff, postdocs and program faculty of Stanford Immunology. All immunology graduate students are required to attend. Students are required to give one poster and one scientific presentation at the Scientific Conference during their years in the program. This year’s conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on November 14 -16, 2025.

Preparing for 2025-2026

Congratulations and welcome to graduate studies at Stanford Immunology! Below are resources to help you prepare the new academic year.

Grad Connect

https://canvas-gateway.stanford.edu/goCanvas.html

Grad Connect is a virtual orientation for incoming Stanford doctoral and masters graduate students. This “course” on Canvas is full of information to help you take care of things before and when you begin your graduate studies, aggregating from multiple sources so you don’t have to search for what you need (Grad Connect complements the Gateway for New Graduate Students).

Cardinal Ready

https://cardinalready.stanford.edu/

The Office of Emergency Management created an emergency preparedness website, CardinalReady, to serve the campus community as a single source for preparedness information. The website houses scenario-specific guidance for students, staff, and faculty. Scenarios include earthquakes, active threats, power outages, and more.

Community

Stanford Immunology pledges to work towards creating a place where every person feels safe, supported, and thrives. We commit to working within our immediate community and beyond to create an environment of inclusion, tolerance, and equity for all, regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. We’ve created a committee, consisting of faculty, graduates and postdocs, to develop and implement programs and policies to enhance community development.

Vacation Policy

The Immunology Ph.D. program is a year-round program, and graduate students work on projects for which there is an expectation of and commitment to continuous effort. Graduate students are allowed 15 days of vacation time per year (not including Christmas and New Year’s Day). Generally, only a portion is used during Winter Closure. Mutually acceptable arrangements should be made in advance for the coverage of any critical functions and/or leaves in excess of this allocation. Leaves in excess of this allocation may be with an adjustment in financial support.

First Year students must check with Drs. Martinez and Bendall before making travel arrangements and should not plan vacation during Rotation Presentations in June. Second year and above students must have permission from their PI to take vacation. Students should plan their personal vacation carefully. It is not advised to travel during the quarter if you are taking courses.

Wellness Resources

Drs. Martinez and Bendall are available to discuss personal concerns of students, and to recommend further conversations with the Advising Deans and/or one of the organizations or services below.

School of Medicine Office of Graduate Education

Shelly Rasnick, MPH, CHES

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, Well-Being, and Inclusion

650.725.0537

srasnick@stanford.edu

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) supports wellness and student life focused initiatives within OGE that meet the needs of diverse PhD and master’s students in the Biosciences community. Contact Shelly on topics including student engagement, resources, and supporting holistic wellness through education and strategic planning.

There are many health and wellness resources available to you at Stanford, and we encourage you to take full advantage of them. This page contains resources that are specific to Stanford University and the Biosciences and are intended to support you throughout your graduate education.

You can also always connect with our Office of Graduate Education team with any questions or concerns by reaching out to oge-helpme@stanford.edu.

Need Urgent Help?

If you need help immediately for yourself or someone else, please contact one of the following 24/7 resources:

Direct Support & Consultation

Need consultation and support? Below are resources available to you, whether you just need someone to talk to or would like to file a report.

Consult 

Office of Graduate Education (OGE) – The Office of Graduate Education is a private resource that provides students with guidance and helps them explore resources. Contact oge-helpme@stanford.edu for more information.

SoM Ombudsperson – This is a confidential, informal resource that can function as a listener, mediator, or facilitator. The Ombudsperson offers resources and possible next steps to students and staff. Contact Jim Laflin at jlaflin@stanford.edu. Individuals affiliated with programs outside of the School of Medicine, such as Biology and Bioengineering, are welcome to consult the University Ombuds.

Graduate Life Office (GLO) – The Graduate Life Office is a private resource that answers questions and provides advice and resources to graduate students. For 24/7 crisis assistance, text 25805@pageme.stanford.edu. For non-urgent assistance, contact graduatelifeoffice@stanford.edu.

Mental Health Support 

Mental Health Team & Counseling and Psychological Services – The School of Medicine Mental Health Team (MHT) and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provide mental health support through therapy and psychiatry by way of short-term care and resource connection. The MHT resource is free for all Biosciences MS and PhD students, and CAPS requires a copay. All appointments are made through CAPS – 650-723-3785. If you are wishing to book with the MHT, please let the CAPS scheduling team know when you call so that they can direct you appropriately.

Office of Religious & Spiritual Life – The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is a resource that provides non-judgmental attention and support for everyone. Talk with a Chaplain by scheduling an appointment here.

Confidential Support Team – The Confidential Support Team strives to foster connection, healing, and thriving for those impacted by sexual, relationship, and gender-based violence through consultation, counseling, and outreach. For urgent, 24/7 assistance, contact 650-725-9955. For non-urgent assistance during hours of operation, contact 650-736-6933.

Reporting Options 

SHARE/Title IX – The SHARE/Title IX Office specializes in investigations, supportive measures, informal resolutions, and compliance for those impacted by sexual harassment and violence.

Ethics & Compliance – The University Compliance Office deals with issues related to Stanford’s code for ethical, professional, and legal standards of behavior.

Harassment/Discrimination – Title VI - Stanford has policies and practices to ensure compliance with both federal and state laws ensuring freedom from discrimination and harassment.

Threat Assessment – This resource handles any concerns related to student safety and well-being.

Learning & Academic Support

Need academic support? Below are resources available to help you thrive academically at Stanford.

Grant Writing Academy – The Grant Writing Academy provides resources such as workshops, grant coaches, and a proposal library.

Hume Writing Center – The Hume Writing Center provides tutoring for writing and speaking, as well as Dissertation Bootcamp and other resources.

Center for Teaching and Learning – The Center for Teaching and Learning provides resources such as student learning programs, academic coaching, and peer learning consultants.

Schwab Learning Center at Children’s Health Council (SLC @ CHC) – SLC @ CHC provides 1:1 academic coaching for school and work, psychoeducational evaluations for learning disabilities and ADHD, post-evaluation counseling sessions, and referrals for psychiatry and psychological services. The services provided by SLC @ CHC are free for all Stanford Students. Learn more about eligibility for evaluations and other ADHD resources here. Connect with SLC @ CHC by calling CAPS 650-723-3785 and requesting a consultation visit to discuss a referral to Schwab, then register for SLC @ CHC.

Connection & Community

Looking for a sense of community? Below are resources available to help support you socially at Stanford.

BioPeers – Provides informal peer mentorship through non-judgmental guidance and support.

BioSci Events – Throughout the year, Stanford Biosciences puts on weekly events, including Bagel Wednesdays and various workshops.

LKSC 4th Floor Student Lounge – The LKSC 4th Floor Student Lounge contains a fitness center where you can attend classes and get personal training and a quiet room.

Student Organizations – Stanford has a plethora of student organizations for graduate students, including:

• Stanford Biosciences Student Association (SBSA) – SBSA represents graduate students from biology-related fields in the School of Medicine, the School of Humanities and Sciences, and the School of Engineering.
• Biomedical Association for the Interest of Minority Students (BioAIMS) – BioAIMS is an inclusive organization that provides a welcoming home for all Biosciences students at Stanford to celebrate their identities, especially those that have traditionally been marginalized in academia.
• Stanford Black Biosciences Organization (SBBO) – SBBO seeks to build a community among Black bioscientists in the School of Medicine in conjunction with the greater Black community at Stanford.
• Future Advancers of Science and Technology (FAST) – FAST is a program in which Stanford University graduate students mentor Future Advancers of Science and Technology (FAST) toward achieving their goals of answering open questions in science and engineering clever solutions to problems in their society.
• School of Medicine Diversity Center of Representation and Empowerment (D-CORE) a space where any member of the Stanford Medicine community interested in issues of inclusion and diversity can hold meetings or just hang out and study.
• Graduate Student Council (GSC) is the student government for Stanford graduate students. The GSC hosts various events and represents student needs through advocacy.
• Queer Student Resources - dedicated to making Stanford a place where students of all genders and sexualities can flourish.

For more diversity resources and organizations at Stanford, visit the Inclusion Resources and Partnerships page.

Work & Life

Need financial help or living accommodations? Below are resources available to help support your success in work and life as a whole at Stanford.

Financial Support 

Emergency Grant-in-Aid – This is a university-wide resource for financial hardships/unexpected expenses. Grants are limited to $5,000 per academic year and are accepted on a rolling basis.

Graduate Cash Advance – The Graduate Cash Advance is a resource available to graduate students to help with expenses before graduate financial support is posted and/or TA/RA salaries are paid. Cash advances can be requested in increments of $1,000 to $3,000 every quarter. This is not additional aid but rather functions as a no-interest loan that must be repaid once graduate funding is distributed.

Biosciences Hardship Fund – This is a Biosciences PhD-specific resource for expenses that are creating financial hardships. Students are limited to $5,000 per academic year and can apply twice per year.

Mental Health Support Program – Students can receive up to $1,000 per academic year to support mental health copays, medication costs, etc. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Navigating Life 

Resources for Parents

• Graduate Life Office – The Graduate Life Office is here to support graduate students with children by connecting them to campus resources, offering support services, and organizing events and programming for all members of the family.
• Graduate Family Grant – The Graduate Family Grant provides up to $20,000 per year per family to eligible graduate students with dependent children.
• Parents in Academia Group – Advocacy & research in supporting the diversity of undergrad, graduate students & postdocs with children and dependents

Leaves of Absence

• Graduate Life Office
• Student Services
• Your Department

Accommodations

• Office of Accessible Education (OAE) – Through both academic and housing accommodations, OAE works to mitigate physical and attitudinal barriers that students might face.

Physical Health

• Stanford Recreation and Wellness – athletic facilities, group fitness and recreation classes, intramural sports.

Stanford Access - Stanford Access offers complimentary curb-to-curb service to all eligible students, faculty, or staff with a disability or medical condition. For more information on hours of operation and how to arrange for on-campus rides, please visit: https://transportation.stanford.edu/.

Schwab Learning Center - Through a generous endowment from Charles and Helen Schwab, the Schwab Learning Center (SLC) was established to provide Stanford students with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) a supportive academic environment through enhanced programs and service. SLC programs and services are offered on both the main campus and at the Stanford School of Medicine. Among the services offered are:

• Consultation and referral for students with suspected learning differences
• One-on-one learning strategies
• Academic tutoring

Assistive Technology - The OAE provides trainings and screenings on a variety of assistive computer technologies and software applications. Screenings create an opportunity for students and the OAE staff to review and discuss various assistive technologies and software applications that may prove useful. Services include:

• One-on-one training for assistive technology and adaptive software
• Software for speech recognition, text-to-speech applications, screen readers and screen magnification. Alternative input devices such as specialized keyboards and mouse substitutes
• Whiteboards capture devices to enhance studying
• Ergonomic computer workstations
• Refreshable Braille display
• CCTV video magnifiers
• The Alternate Format Production Facility has the capacity to convert print text to electronic text (e-text), large print, or Braille using high-speed scanners, specialized software applications, and Braille embossers.

For more information, visit our website: https://oae.stanford.edu/accessibility-resources

Voice: (650) 723-1066

FAX: (650) 723-5301

Email:  oae-getinfo@lists.stanford.edu URL: https://oae.stanford.edu/

Address: 563 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford, CA 94305

Health Care

While at Stanford, your health care resources include the following:

Access to Vaden Health Center – All students can access Vaden Health Center services during their academic careers at Stanford. As a member of the Stanford campus community all services are geared to your well-being. Vaden Health Center services include primary care, counseling and psychological services, radiology, lab, pharmacy, physical therapy and nutrition.

Insurance – You will need health insurance when accessing health care outside of Vaden. Examples of services that require health insurance are referrals to specialists, inpatient care, emergency care, and services while away from campus (such as when traveling within the US or internationally).

Cardinal Care is a comprehensive health plan specifically designed for Stanford students. Coverage is worldwide. It includes medical, surgical, mental health care, hospitalization, emergency care and pharmaceuticals. Cardinal Care is administered and insured by Health Net of California (for medical benefits) and MHN (for mental health benefits). The Cardinal Care health plan offers dental coverage. You can learn more about Stanford Health Care at: https://vaden.stanford.edu/.

Note: If you are defending and submitting your dissertation during the autumn or winter quarters, you must inform the Vaden Health Center that you wish to cancel your health insurance for the following quarter (if you defend/submit during spring quarter, you do not have to cancel your Cardinal Care enrollment as health insurance is paid in its entirety autumn through spring quarters). If you do not do this, Vaden Health Center will automatically bill your student account and you will be expected to cover 100% of the cost ($2,540 per quarter), as the University will no longer be subsidizing it after your graduation. Please be sure to email healthinsurance@stanford.edu to inform them of your last quarter at Stanford.

Student Housing

Graduate students live in various apartment communities:

• Escondido Village – Apartments on eastside of campus - largest graduate community on campus
• Escondido South – Townhouses
• Rains Houses – Apartments
• Munger Graduate Residences – Apartments – priority given to Law School students
• Off-campus subsidized – Apartment complexes in Menlo Park, Mountain View and Palo Alto.

Couples housing and housing for students with children is also available. Housing applications for Autumn Quarter are due in the spring prior. For information on student housing, please visit the Student Housing website: https://rde.stanford.edu/studenthousing/housing-options.

Housing rents and fees will be deducted directly from a fellowship stipend at the beginning of every quarter. If you are paid bi-weekly and wish to deduct a monthly amount directly from your check you will have to set up a payroll deduction, please contact the Student Services Center (Tresidder) to set up this arrangement.

Career Advice

There is a broad network of career services across the University. Here are some key resources:

• BioSci Careers (http://med.stanford.edu/bioscicareers.html) provides counseling/coaching, curriculum, and connections to more than 3,000 trainees in the medical and life sciences. Visit them in MSOB, 1^st floor or call 650-721-1893 to set an appointment.
• BioSci Connect (https://biosciconnect.stanford.edu/) provides a way to connect with graduate students, postdocs, and alumni to build a strong community for career and life conversations while promoting opportunity for careers of choice. Join the Immunology Group to build connections with both local and global mentors, gain insight and guidance, offer/benefit from individualized coaching, attend customized workshops, and share career opportunities. 
• Stanford Career Education (formerly known as BEAM, https://careered.stanford.edu/) is a part of Student Affairs and is the student career education hub that connects students with the people and knowledge needed to help them explore career paths, identify and apply for opportunities, and cultivate personalized networks that shape their professional journey.  The office is available M-F, 8am-5pm at the Student Services Building, or at 650-725-1789.
• Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) (https://vpge.stanford.edu/)  offers programs in professional development to graduate students within all seven Schools. There's something to meet any graduate student's needs and schedule, from information-packed Quick Bytes lunches, to multi-session Negotiation Matters workshops, or week-long Stanford Graduate Summer Institute courses. Browse these offerings and sign up for those that interest you. The hours are M-F, 8:30am-5pm in 450 Serra Mall, Building 310 or 650-736-0775.

Immunology E-mail Lists

Once admitted, students are automatically added to the program’s PhD (Immuno-program) e-mail list. Students interested in subscribing to other e-mail lists at Stanford for general announcements may do so by going to https://itservices.stanford.edu/service/mailinglists/tools and searching for and selecting the link.

These are open and public lists meant to be used for electronic communications. Normal network etiquette and policies should be observed (e.g. no advertisements, no chain letters, etc.). Specific University guidelines can be found here: https://uit.stanford.edu/service/mailinglists/policies.

Graduate Students

Visit the Graduate Students page to view the current graduate students.

Program Faculty

Program faculty have strong records as researchers, including publications and successful research. Our faculty have diverse backgrounds and have a record of research training who have mentored and helped develop successful, former trainees who have established productive careers. Faculty serve on committees, teach major courses, directly mentor students, and provide core support essential to the functioning of the Immunology Program. The program is proud to have 85+ Faculty members in total and 11 National Academy of the Sciences members.

Immunology PhD Program Faculty are affiliated with the following departments, divisions, and institutes:

PhD Faculty Profiles and Contact Information

For more detailed information on each of the following faculty members, please visit their Stanford Community Academic Profile (http://med.stanford.edu/profiles/) or go to the faculty directory on the Immunology website (http://med.stanford.edu/immunol/people/faculty.html).

Our Immunology program faculty are UTL (University Tenure Line and on the Academic Council), NTL-R, (Non-Tenure Line, Research and on the Academic Council), or MCL (Medical Clinical Line and non-Academic Council). Only Academic Council Faculty can serve as Graduate Student Advisors.

Stanford Immunology Faculty | Graduate Training Faculty | Graduate Training Faculty Recruiting Graduate Students for 2025-26

Overview of Program Training