The Stanford Shenoy-Simons Foundation Grant for Neuroengineering Graduate Training

 

Introduction and Goals 

Funded by the Simons Foundation, the Electrical Engineering department and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, the internal Stanford Shenoy-Simons Foundation Grant seeks to support and accept innovative proposals that allow Stanford PhD candidates in any graduate program to explore and expand in new directions in the field of neuroengineering. We encourage developing new research projects or collaborations, new educational opportunities, skill development, and exploration of new ideas and approaches within neuroengineering both within and outside of Stanford.

Program Goals 

The goal of the Stanford Shenoy-Simons Foundation Grant Program is to support research and educational opportunities  that may  lead to significant advances in the field.  Priority will be given to proposals that represent significant new departures in the research or education of the applicant, particularly outside their research group.

Awards

The Stanford Shenoy-Simons Foundation Grant Program anticipates it will award two or more grants annually, with an approximate budget of $4,000 per project, though we may consider higher budgets on a case-by-case basis. 

prof Krishna Shenoy

Krishna V. Shenoy (1968–2023)

Excerpted from "Nature Neuroscience: Krishna V. Shenoy (1968–2023)" – Krishna Vaughn Shenoy died on 21 January 2023 at the age of 54. He had lived for over a decade after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Krishna’s scientific and moral leadership was such that his absence was felt — suddenly, acutely and deeply — by all those that knew him. Kindness, decency and devotion to truth were central to both Krishna the person and Krishna the dreamer. Krishna’s ambition was massive yet patient and never centered on himself. His work transcends him and lives on in others not simply because of its quantity and quality, but because Krishna meant for it to be that way from the very beginning. (photo credit: Paul Sakuma).

 

Review Process 

Decisions will be made by a committee of faculty with research expertise in neuroengineering. The committee may consult external experts informally, as appropriate, and compatible with the confidentiality of the proposals and the need for quick decisions.

 

Eligibility

Applicants must be Stanford PhD candidates (during their 2nd - through their penultimate year) interested in neuroengineering. Applicants must not be in the last year of their PhD (i.e., graduation date must be after Summer of the upcoming academic year).

 

Application Materials 

  •  ❏  A brief description of the request & the topic to be pursued (2 pages max) in PDF format.
  • ❏  SUNet ID
  • ❏  CV: up-to-date
  • ❏  Current Stanford graduate transcript (unofficial is fine) and undergraduate transcript
  • ❏  Active, up-to-date, and public Stanford Profile that includes: 
    • Photo 
    • Biography
    • Current research & scholarly interests
    • Education & certificates
    • Publications
  • ❏  Signed supporting letter from research advisor or academic advisor (<1 page)
  • ❏  A budget with itemized costs (maximum = $4,000, although a higher budget may be requested).

Scope

  • Pilot funding for creative new research projects including theory, empirical experiments, data analysis or device development. 
  • Collaborative efforts that connect advances in neuroengineering among different labs.
  • Proposals and demonstrations of real-world neuroengineering technologies.
  • Learning new techniques/concepts at another lab or workshop, or at a conference that is not typically on the agenda of your home lab. 

Out of Scope: A source of funding for the continuation of existing research programs (unless it’s to learn new techniques).

Selection Criteria

  • Creative:             Proposal expands and enriches the candidate’s neuroengineering research potential in new ways. 
  • Impactful:          Anticipated research or educational results may catalyze new studies and/or transform research directions.
  • Viable:                 Project plan is feasible for a 1-year timeline.

  • Collaborative:  If appropriate, the project plan clearly describes how the collaboration will be conducted (e.g. project roles, mentoring,                                                                                assessment of progress and deliverables).

Dissemination of Results

In the future, there will be an annual symposium where current and previously funded individuals and teams will present the successes, failures & lessons learned.

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Important Dates

• Submission Deadline: September 18, 2026
• Notification of decision: mid-October, 2026
• Start of grant: November 2026

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Ready to submit your application or have a question? Submit your application materials or questions to the below email.