Stanford University centers and institutes

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(

November 2024

)

(

)

has many centers and institutes dedicated to the study of various specific topics. These centers

and institutes may be within a department, within a school but across departments, an independent laboratory,

institute or center reporting directly to the dean of research and outside any school, or semi-independent of the

university itself.

Independent laboratories, institutes and centers

[

]

These report directly to the vice-provost and dean of research and are outside any school

though any faculty involved in them must belong to a department in one of the schools.

These include

and Spectrum in the area of Biological and Life Sciences;

and

in the Environmental Sciences

area; the

(CASBS), the Center for the

Study of Language and Information (CSLI) (see below), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) (see

below), Human-Sciences and Technologies Advance Research Institute (H-STAR), Stanford Center on Longevity (SCL),

Stanford Humanities Center (see below), and the

(SIEPR) in the area of

Humanities and Social Sciences; and, for Physical Sciences, the Edward L. Ginzton Laboratory, the

, the

, Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES),

and W. W. Hansen Experimental

Physics Laboratory (HEPL).

Center for the Study of Language and Information

[

]

The

Center for the Study of Language and Information

(

CSLI

) was an independent research center at Stanford

University. Founded in 1983 by philosophers, computer scientists, linguists, and psychologists from Stanford,

, and

, it aimed to study how humans and computers acquire and process information.

CSLI was initially funded by a US$15 million grant from the System Development Foundation (SDF) for the Situated

Language Project, influenced of the work on

by philosophers

and

, two of the

initial leaders of CSLI. This funding supported operations for the first few years as well as the construction of

Cordura Hall. Subsequent funding came from research grants and from an industrial affiliates program.1

CSLI housed the

and the

Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics

[

]

This center focuses on the ethical issues in medical surroundings. It was established in 1989, to facilitate

interdisciplinary interactions between faculty involved in bioethics and medical humanities. The center states that it

was designated by NIH as a Center for Excellence in Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) in Genetics.

Every year,

the center invites an academic speaker to deliver the

Jonathan King Lecture on Bioethic

, in memory of computer

scientist Jonathan King.

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

[

]

The

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

is a university-wide

research and teaching institution at Stanford devoted to understanding international

problems, policies, and institutions. The institute produces interdisciplinary

scholarly research, engages in outreach to policymakers and public institutions throughout the world, and trains

scholars and future leaders on international issues. Its teaching programs include the graduate-level Master of

International Policy as well as honors programs in international security and in democracy, development, and the rule

of law. The school is a full member of the

(APSIA), a

group of schools of public policy, public administration, and international studies.

FSI's core and affiliated faculty represent a range of academic backgrounds and perspectives, including medicine, law,

engineering, history, political science, economics, and sociology. The faculty's research and teaching focus on a

variety of issues, including governance, domestic and international health policy, migration, development, and

security. Their work often examines regional dynamics in areas such as Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. FSI

faculty conduct research, lead interdisciplinary research programs, educate graduate and undergraduate students, and

organize policy outreach that engages Stanford in addressing some of the world's most pressing problems.

The institute is composed of 12 centers and programs, including nine major research centers:

Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)

(FSE)

Stanford Health Policy (SHP)

Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)

The Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation (GKC)

(TEC)

The Cyber Policy Center (CYBER)

The Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions (SCCEI)

Walter H. Shorenstein Asia–Pacific Research Center (APARC)

History

[

]

The institute was founded in 1987 following a faculty committee review that concluded Stanford "should be leading the

way in International Studies as we do in science and technology", encompassing interdisciplinary teaching, research,

public service and administrative functions. It was first called the institute for International Studies, and was

created under the direction of former Stanford president

The institute was renamed the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies in 2005 following a $50 million gift

made by Stanford alumni

and

The immediate past director of FSI was

the former Stanley Morrison Professor of Law at

Stanford Law School and former official in the Obama and Clinton presidential administrations who then served on the

California Supreme Court and as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previous directors include

Stanford President Emeritus

;

, who served as Special Assistant to the President for

National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Russian,

and

Affairs at the

under

during the

; David Holloway; Walter Falcon;

and Stanford President Emeritus

FSI appoints faculty and research staff, funds research and scholarly initiatives, directs research projects, and

sponsors lectures, policy seminars and conferences. By tradition, FSI undertakes joint faculty appointments with

Stanford's seven schools and draws faculty together from the university's academic departments and schools to conduct

interdisciplinary research on international issues that transcend academic boundaries.

The institute is home to 40 billeted faculty members – most with joint appointments – and 115 affiliated faculty

members with a wide range of academic perspectives.

In addition to its nine centers, the institute sponsors the

, the Inter-

University Center for Japanese Language Studies, the

, the Rural Education

Action Program, the

, and the

Directors

[

]

2026-present

2015–2026

2013–2015

2012–2013

2003–2012

1998–2003 David Holloway

1991–1998

1987–1991

Stanford Humanities Center

[

]

The Stanford Humanities Center

Founded in 1980, the

Stanford Humanities Center

is a multidisciplinary research

institute dedicated to advancing knowledge about culture, philosophy, history, and

the arts.

History

[

]

Since its founding in 1980, the Stanford Humanities Center has been sponsoring advanced research into the historical,

philosophical, literary, artistic, and cultural dimensions of the human experience. The Humanities Center's annual

fellows, international visitors, research workshops, digital humanities laboratory, and roughly fifty annual public

events strengthen the intellectual and creative life of the university, foster innovative and interdisciplinary

scholarship and teaching, and enrich our understanding of our common humanity. The humanities support democratic

culture by nurturing an informed citizenry and seeking solutions to society's most formidable challenges.

Fellowships

[

]

The center offers approximately forty yearlong residential fellowships to Stanford and non-Stanford scholars at

different career stages, giving them the opportunity to pursue their research in a supportive intellectual community.

The Humanities Center awards Hume Honors Fellowships to Stanford undergraduates writing a seniors honors thesis in a

humanities department. In residence for an academic year, Hume Fellows contribute to the collegial life of the center

and receive intellectual guidance and mentoring from staff and fellows.

Research workshops

[

]

Each year, Stanford faculty and graduate students create fifteen diverse research workshops to ask new intellectual

questions that often challenge disciplinary boundaries. In addition to providing a space for incubating new ideas in a

collegial setting, the workshops professionalize graduate students by introducing them to the conventions of academic

life.

Manuscript workshops

[

]

Assembling a team of faculty experts from Stanford and other universities, the Manuscript workshops provide critical

feedback to junior faculty preparing monographs or other academic manuscripts of similar scope for submission for

publication.

Public lectures

[

]

The center brings eminent scholars, public intellectuals, and renowned critics to the Stanford campus for lectures and

interdisciplinary conferences that enrich the Stanford community with a lively exchange of ideas. Speakers have

included

, and other well-known scholars.

Digital humanities

[

]

The Humanities Center, with the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA), is expanding the possibilities of

humanities research and teaching at Stanford by creating opportunities for the discovery and dissemination of new

knowledge. Humanities Center scholars are on the forefront of innovation with access to new digital tools to interpret

the human experience.

International visitors program

[

]

The center's short-term visitorships draw distinguished international scholars to Stanford to share their research in

lectures and seminars with Stanford faculty and students.

Directors

[

]

(1980–1985)

Bliss Carnochan (1985–1991)

Herbert Lindenberger (1991–1992; interim)

(1992–1995)

(1995–2000)

(2000–2001)

John Bender (2001–2008)

(2008–2013)

(2013–2019)

(2019–Present)

Distinguished Careers Institute

[

]

The

Distinguished Careers Institute

(

DCI

), established in 2014, is a year-long residential fellowship for

approximately 20 individuals who have already established leadership careers.

Fellows are selected based on "how

their participation in the program will shape their future life journeys" as well as "what future Fellows will

contribute to the program and the broader global community."

Stanford High School Program

[

]

The collaboration among Stanford University's office for Digital Education, the Department of Computer Science, and

the Graduate School of Education established Stanford's first dual-enrollment program for high school students

from

underrepresented backgrounds, which served as an impetus for the establishment of the Qualia Global Scholars

Program.

Other research centers

[

]

Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

[

]

The

Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

(also known as the

Stanford AI Lab

, or

SAIL

) is the

(AI) research laboratory of

. The current director is Professor

Early years

[

]

SAIL was started in 1963 by

, after he moved from

to Stanford.

, also previously of MIT, served as executive officer (self-deprecatingly, "Chief Bureaucrat")

at SAIL from 1965 to 1980.

During almost all of this period (1966–1979),

SAIL was housed in the D.C. Power

building, named not for "

" but rather for

, who held the positions of president,

C.E.O. and chairman of General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (later

) between 1951 and 1971.

GT&E donated the unfinished building to Stanford University after abandoning plans to establish a research center

there.

During this period SAIL was one of the leading centers for AI research and an early

site.

The

, designed at

SAIL in 1969, is the forerunner of

most industrial robots in use

today.

D.C. Power was on a hill overlooking Felt Lake in the foothills of the

behind Stanford. It was about 5 miles (8 km) from the main campus, at

1600 Arastradero Road, midway between Page Mill Road and Alpine Road.

This

area was, and remains, quite rural in nature. Combined with the rather extreme 1960s

architecture of the place, this remote setting led to a certain isolation.

Some people who worked there reported feeling as if they were already in the future.

The building was demolished in 1986; as of 2003, the site is home to Portola Pastures (an equestrian center adjacent to

the

SAIL created the

on a computer called SAIL.

WAITS ran on various models of

computers, starting with the

, then the

and

. WAITS also ran on

systems at

and

. The SAIL system was shut down in 1991.

, was developed by Dan Swinehart and

of the Stanford AI

Lab in 1970.

Around 1972, for its remote site use, people at SAIL developed a computer controlled vending machine, adapted from a

machine rented from

, which sold for cash or, though a computer terminal (

credit.

Products included, at least, beer, yogurt, and milk.

It was called the

Prancing Pony

, after the name

of the room, named after an inn in Tolkien's

as each room at SAIL was named after a place in

A successor version still operates in the Computer Science Department at Stanford, with both hardware

and software having been updated.

Alumni of the original SAIL played a major role in many

firms, becoming founders of now-large firms

such as

and

as well as smaller companies such as

(acquired by

, Imagen,

, and

. Research accomplishments at SAIL were many,

including in the fields of

and

Notable people that worked at the original SAIL include

, and

Demise and rebirth

[

]

In 1979, SAIL's activities were merged into the university's Computer Science Department and it moved into Margaret

Jacks Hall on the main Stanford campus.

After operating for more than 15 Years under the name

Robotics Lab

, we just re-inaugurated the new Stanford AI

Lab.

(April 2004)

SAIL was reopened in 2004, now in the

, with

becoming its new director.

SAIL's 21st century mission is to "change the way we understand the world";

its researchers contribute to fields

such as

, and

The best-known achievement of the new SAIL is the

that won the 2005 DARPA Grand

Challenge.

(KSL) was an artificial intelligence research laboratory within the Department of

Computer Science at Stanford University until 2007, located in the Gates Computer Science Building, Stanford.

Stanford Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

[

]

The

Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

(

CES

) at

is a multidisciplinary business oriented

program targeted to both undergraduate and

students. It incorporates courses from

and

. It also incorporates Stanford Mayfield Scholars Program that

seeks to give select undergraduate students an opportunity to take business related coursework and to

in high

tech

. CES was founded by

and

Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics

[

]

The Knoll, home to CCRMA

The Stanford University

Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics

(

CCRMA

), founded by

, is a multi-discipline facility where composers

and

work together using computer-based technology both as an artistic

medium and as a research tool. CCRMA's director is

. CCRMA's current

faculty includes a mix of musicians and engineers including

(emeritus),

, Takako Fujioka, Tom Rossing, Jonathan Abel,

, David Berners,

, Jay Kadis, and

Fernando Lopez-Lezcano. Emeritus professor

died in 2011.

Widely used digital sound synthesis techniques like

and

were developed at

CCRMA and licensed to industry partners.

The FM synthesis patent brought Stanford $20 million before it expired,

making it (in 1994) "the second most lucrative licensing agreement in Stanford's history".

Stanford CCRMA is a research center, studying areas of audio and technology including

, audio networking, and

The center houses academic courses for Stanford

students as well as seminars, small interest group meetings, summer workshops and colloquia for the broader

community.

Concerts of computer and experimental music are presented regularly throughout year.

The Knoll

[

]

Almost 100 years ago, this

residence, known as the Knoll, was originally designed by

and built as a residence for the university's president. In 1946, the building became home to the Music

Department, and then in 1986, CCRMA took over residency.

Damaged in 1989 during the

, the Knoll nonetheless housed CCRMA in its damaged condition until a

complete internal reconstruction between 2004 and 2005. The reopening of the facility was celebrated in the Spring of

2005 with the CCRMA: newStage Festival. This unique building now comprises several state-of-the-art music studios and

top-notch research facilities, hosting a variety of students, artists and scientists.

CCRMA is affiliated with the

(CCARH), also located at

Stanford. CCARH conducts research on constructing computer databases for music and on creating programs that allow

researchers to access, analyze, print, and electronically perform the music.

Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts (SiCa)

[

]

The

Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts

(

SiCa

), established in 2006, serves as the core programmatic

hub for the

, leading the development of new undergraduate arts programs, hosting artists in

residence, awarding grants for multidisciplinary arts research and teaching, incubating collaborative performances and

exhibitions with campus partners and other institutions, and providing centralized communication for arts events and

programs at

National Performance of Dams Program

[

]

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering maintains the

National Performance of Dams Program

, a

national database of structural and operational data related to dam systems in the U.S. Begun in 1994, this program

provides data to the dam engineering and safety community about the in-service performance of dam systems. The

analysis of this data covering both successful operations and incidents, including failures, is intended to lead to

improvements in design and requirements, engineering processes and standards, operational procedures and guidelines,

and public policy development.

Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research

[

]

Founded in 1974, and named after economist

, the

Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender

Research

is one of the nation's oldest research organizations focused on the study of

The Clayman Institute designs basic

research, creates knowledge, networks people and ideas at

Stanford, nationally, and internationally to effect change and promote

. The Clayman Institute plays an

integral role in the Stanford community by bringing together local, national and international scholars and thought

leaders from across disciplines to create knowledge and effect change. The place where the Clayman Institute is

located was renamed the

in 2019.

It was formerly named Serra House after

History

[

]

In 1972 faculty and graduate students in the

were the impetus behind the formation of the institute.

In 1974, the

Center for Research on Women

(

CROW

) was the first interdisciplinary center or institute of its kind

and quickly built a strong reputation under the direction of

, the founding

. The reputation of

CIGR grew outside Stanford, and the

chose Stanford as the base of the second five-year

rotation of its new interdisciplinary journal,

In 1983 the institute was renamed the

Institute for

Research on Women and Gender

(

IRWG

) and continued to expand the gender conversation with the "Difficult

program, which ran in the 1990s through 2004. In 2004, the new director, Professor

, a

, formed a plan to create a series of research initiatives on gender issues, backed by a research fellowship

program, that would attract scholars from Stanford and abroad. With the help of matching funds from the

and strong support from the institute's Advisory Council, Schiebinger spearheaded a fundraising drive to

create an endowment for the institute. IRWG was renamed in honor of Michelle R. Clayman, the major donor in the

campaign, who serves as the chair of the institute's Advisory Council.

Research

[

]

The Clayman Institute designs basic research and supports the creation of knowledge through its Fellowships and

interdisciplinary programs. Recent reports/

include:

Gendered Innovations in Science and Engineering,

Londa Schiebinger, ed., 2008.

Dual-Career Academic Couples: What Universities Need to Know.

The Michelle R. Clayman Institute, 2008. This

Clayman Institute research study shows that over 70% of faculty are in dual-career relationships. This report

tackles tough questions and recommends policies to maximize options.

Climbing the Technical Ladder: Obstacles and Solutions for Mid-Level Women in Information Technology.

The

Michelle R. Clayman Institute and the

Institute, 2008. This report provides an in-depth look into the

barriers to

and advancement of technical women in

's high tech industry and provides

practical recommendations to employers on overcoming these barriers.

Fellowships

[

]

The Clayman Institute runs two fellowship programs. The

Research Fellowships seek to drive intellectual and

social innovation through interdisciplinary gender studies. They include residential fellowships for tenured, tenure-

track, and postdoctoral scholars from Stanford University, and U.S. and foreign universities. The Clayman Institute

also offers Graduate

Fellowships for Stanford University doctoral students. Fellowships are awarded to

students who are in the writing stages of their dissertations, and whose research focuses on women and/or gender.

Directors

[

]

1974–77 Myra Strober

1977–79 Diane Middlebrook

1979–84 Myra Strober

1984–85

(deputy director, as acting director)

1985–86 Judith Brown (acting director)

1986–90 Deborah Rhode

1990–97

1997–2001

2001–04 Barbara Gelpi (acting director)

2004–10 Londa Schiebinger

2010–2019 Shelley J. Correll

2019-present Adrian Daub

Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute

[

]

Stanford is home to the

Research and Education Institute which grew out of and still contains

the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project, a collaboration with the

to publish the King papers held by the

King Center.

Stanford Internet Observatory

[

]

The

is a multidisciplinary program for the study of abuse in information technologies,

with a focus on

, established in 2019. It is part of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center, a joint initiative

of the

and

The Observatory has identified

the Russian government's online involvement in global elections since the program began.

The program's projects

such as the "Virality Project" have been criticized as censorship since the release of the

by some

students,

, and others

outside the university.

Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)

[

]

Stanford HAI

was founded in 2019 by

, and

. HAI's mission is to

advance AI research that prioritizes human well-being, fostering collaboration across disciplines to ensure AI is

developed ethically and inclusively.

In its first five years, HAI has directed over $40 million into AI research, supported over 300 scholars, and launched

specialized centers like the

Stanford Digital Economy Lab

and the

Center for Research on Foundation Models

The institute has also fostered partnerships with policymakers and industry leaders, advocating for the

democratization of AI research. HAI continues to push for new models of collaboration, emphasizing the need for large-

scale resources to address the growing complexity of AI systems.

Stanford HAI's role in Governor Gavin Newsom's AI policy

[

]

The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) is a contributor to California Governor

's policy initiatives focused on the safe and responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI) in

California.

has advosed the state on AI policy, contributing to initiatives aimed at balancing innovation

with risk mitigation.

[

]

Building on the partnership established by Newsom's 2023 executive order, Newsom asked Stanford HAI to continue

developing empirical, science-based guidelines for the deployment of

(GenAI). This future work will

focus on assessing the potential risks and benefits of frontier AI models, crafting adaptive policies, and ensuring

that California remains at the forefront of AI governance. Newsom's administration relies on HAI's expertise to

navigate AI's rapid advancements while protecting the public from potential harms.

Affiliations

[

]

Stanford's Center for Computer Research and Acoustics is part of a consortium with

and the Institut de Recherche

et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (

) in Paris.