Fellow

The Center for Law and the Biosciences invites applications for its 2027-2028 Fellowship.

The Goal:

This fellowship is intended for individuals who are seeking an academic or policy career working on legal and social issues arising from advances in the biosciences, with a particular emphasis on genetics, neuroscience, stem cell research, or assisted reproduction. (Twenty of our twenty-four former fellows now have faculty positions at universities in the United States or overseas.)

The Fellowship:

The Center for Law and the Biosciences Fellowship is a residential fellowship that provides an opportunity to conduct research in the dynamic environment of Stanford Law School. We prefer two-year fellowships to help the fellow complete a significant body of independent scholarship, but we are willing to consider one-year terms. We expect fellows to dedicate most of their time to pursuing their proposed research projects, while dedicating approximately one-sixth of their time to organizing and implementing other activities of the Center, including the annual BioLawLapalooza conference of academics working in the field, the Center’s workshop series, our lunch speaker series, and other activities, as well as contributing to the Center’s blog. Fellows are encouraged to become part of a lively law-school-wide community of individuals with an interest in legal academia by attending weekly faculty lunch seminars and participating in activities with the other fellows at Stanford Law School to learn more about their legal scholarship and academic life. 

For the 2027-2028 fellowship, we will provide fellows with workspace, a competitive salary, and a generous benefits package. Applicants should have a law degree (JD or foreign equivalent) or other doctoral-level degree (MD, PhD) in a relevant area. A law degree is a substantial advantage, but is not a requirement. (Note – we hope to hire one new fellow for 2027-2028, dependent on funding and other issues.)

The Center:

The Center for Law and the Biosciences, directed by Professor Hank Greely, evaluates bioscience discoveries in the context of the law, weighing their impact on society and the law’s role in shaping that impact. The Center is part of the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology.

Located at the heart of the world’s biotechnology industry and inside a preeminent research university, the Center brings together academics, lawyers, scientists, policymakers, and students. Through conferences, workshops, lectures, and academic courses, the Center promotes research and public discourse on the ethical, legal, scientific, economic, and social implications of accelerated technological change in the life sciences. For more information, visit our website.

The Application Process:
Applicants should submit a CV with contact information for three references, a writing sample, and a research proposal (2000 words or less) to the Stanford Career website: careersearch.stanford.edu, reference job number 201097.

Deadline: Friday, December 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific time. Fellows will be selected based on demonstrated academic merit and potential, as well as the intellectual strength of their research proposals. Decisions will be made on or around Friday, January 15, 2027. 

The expected base pay for the position is $75,000 on an annual basis. Stanford University has provided this salary representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position upon hire.