CDDRL Pre-doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships
Meet Our Fellows
CDDRL pre/postdoctoral fellowships are for 9-months (September-June). We offer 2-4 fully funded residential fellowships each academic year. Our pre/postdoctoral fellowships are intended to support writing and research while in residence at Stanford, as such, we are not able to accommodate fieldwork or extended travel.
Pre-doctoral fellows receive stipends comparable to that awarded by the Stanford Graduate Fellowships program; the Center also pays non-matriculated student tuition for pre-doctoral fellows as required by Stanford University.
Post-doctoral fellows receive stipends/salaries commensurate with experience and with consideration given to university-established minimums for a term period of 9 months.
Healthcare and other benefits are also provided as required by Stanford University for both pre- and post doctoral fellows.
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide housing. We can, however, refer fellows to the housing information that Stanford provides.
Fellows spend the academic year at Stanford University completing their projects, participating in seminars, and interacting with each other and the resident faculty and research staff. The Center facilities on the Stanford campus include offices and cubicles. Fellows have access to other Stanford libraries as well as exercise facilities.
The application cycle for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on September 23, 2024
Our goal is to provide an intellectually dynamic environment that fosters lively exchange among Center members and helps everyone to do excellent scholarship. To that end, fellows are expected to be fully present and engaged at CDDRL during their assignment. This is a residential fellowship intended to support writing and research while in residence at Stanford, as such, we are not able to accommodate fieldwork or extended travel. Fellows will be assigned office space at CDDRL and we expect you to spend time in your workspace regularly so that you can take full advantage of our community of scholars.
Complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and review it with your mentor within the first month of your appointment.
Meet with your faculty mentor at least once per month to review and refine your research topic, discuss project progress, and receive general career and intellectual guidance.
Attend our weekly Thursday noon research seminars, we expect that you will take part actively in the Center’s conferences, workshops, and other research-related events.
Make tangible progress on your proposed research project: completing several dissertation or book chapters and/or at least one article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Write a short op-ed or other media piece that provides insights gleaned from your scholarly work to the public.
Submit a CDDRL working paper by the end of their fellowship and as part of the process of getting feedback on their work in progress.
Pre-doctoral fellows must be enrolled currently in a doctoral program or equivalent through the time of intended residency at Stanford and must be at the dissertation write-up (post course work) phase of their doctoral program. Post-doctoral fellows must have earned their Ph.D. within 3 years of the start of the fellowship, or plan to have successfully defended their Ph.D. dissertations by July 31, 2025.
In addition to our regular call for applications, CDDRL invites applications for the Gerhard Casper Fellow in Rule of Law for 2025-26. We welcome research on any aspect of rule of law, including judicial politics, criminal justice, and the politicization of judicial institutions. We are an interdisciplinary center; candidates from any relevant field (i.e. the social sciences, law) are welcome to apply.
This is a 9-month, residential fellowship. The Gerhard Casper Fellow will be part of CDDRL’s larger cohort of pre- and postdoctoral fellows. Please apply through the regular CDDRL fellowship application process, and indicate that you would like to be considered for the Gerhard Casper Rule of Law Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Applications for the Gerhard Casper Fellow in Rule of Law for 2025-26 will open on September 23, 2024.
The application cycle for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on September 23, 2024.
The CDDRL Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowship program uses the SlideRoom application system to manage all incoming applications. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form, letter of application of no more than 3 typed pages, current CV, three letters of recommendation, a statement of proposed research (5-10 pages), and a complete set of transcripts (undergraduate and graduate). *You may upload unofficial transcripts with your application.
All application materials, including recommendations, must be in English. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all materials, including letters of reference, are submitted by the deadline stated above.
All pre- and postdoctoral applicants must also include an official Ph.D. transcript. Electronic Transcripts must originate from the university registrar's office via a secure site formally linked to the sending institution. Send to cddrl_fellowship@stanford.edu.
Center Committee will only review complete files. Notifications will be sent in mid to late February.
The application cycle for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on September 23, 2024.
Submission of a formal application is required for all individuals who wish to be in residence as visiting fellows.
Online Application Instructions
- Access application portal by selecting link below.
- Click "Sign up to get started" (at the bottom of the page). Input the requested information to create a username and password.
- Click "Stanford CDDRL Pre and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program".
- Proceed through the application, entering information into all required fields.
- Submit your application.
Access the online application HERE.
Kristin Chandler, Fellowship Manager
Encina Hall
616 Jane Stanford Way
Stanford, CA 94305
650-497-1271 | kdchandl@stanford.edu