Graduate Fellowships
Applications are now open for the 2026-27 cohort. Apply by Monday, July 27th.
For the 2026-27 academic year, The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society will offer 12-15 fellowships to promising graduate students in PhD programs from across the university, in all fields of study. The fellowship provides an opportunity for fellows to examine central ethical questions their research raises, and to reflect on their obligations as scholars to the academic community and to civic life.
In a workshop that meets throughout the year, fellows present their own research to an interdisciplinary community of scholars, reflect upon shared ethical concerns across different academic fields and departments, and engage critically with the substantive implications their research has on society.
Topics examined in the past from fellows have included ethical questions related to:
- Anti-aging research
- Virtual worlds
- Brain-Computer interface technologies
- Protein synthesis and bilogical weapons
- Community-based research practices
- Legal decision-making and AI
- Religion and politics
Program Structure
Fellows will attend a workshop that meets twice a month each quarter (Fridays 10:00am - 11:45am) to share their work in progress, hear from visiting speakers, and discuss topical readings. Fellows will receive a stipend of $1500 per quarter for three quarters. The fellowship is a commitment for the entirety of the 2026-27 academic year. Fellows must attend each of the workshop sessions. The workshop will be in-person and fellows must be on campus each quarter to participate in the program.
At the end of the academic year, fellows will be expected to showcase their work at an end-of-year culminating event for a broader audience.
Application Process
The fellowship is open to graduate students in Ph.D. programs from across the university. A complete application includes:
- Short response (500 words total) to the questions: Why do you want to participate in this program and how will it advance your work?
- CV
- Unofficial transcript
- Name of a faculty reference (just a name, a letter is not needed at this time)
Successful applications will formulate a precise ethical question their research raises and the relevance it has for their academic discipline and for society, as well describe how they will benefit from an interdisciplinary community of scholars.
We will prioritize candidates whose applications include a specific deliverable (a research paper, conference presentation, policy memo, or piece of public writing) that could be an output of the fellowship experience.
Deadline to apply is Monday, July 27th.
For questions about the fellowship, email Collin Anthony Chen at canthony [at] stanford.edu (canthony[at]stanford[dot]edu).