Stanford supports postdoctoral scholar groups and associations sharing the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) goal of fostering community and a sense of belonging among postdocs.

Stanford Postdoc Groups

Per OPA’s agreement with OSE, the following postdoc groups are officially sanctioned entities with rights and responsibilities in line with OSE’s policies for VSOs and funding and oversight through OPA. Contact OPA with questions about postdoc group eligibility to access campus resources or if you are a postdoc interested in hosting an event or forming a new postdoc group.

Stanford University Postdoc Association (SURPAS) SURPAS, represents all postdoctoral scholars at Stanford. SURPAS' mission is to work with university administration to enhance and enrich the experience of postdoctoral research fellows at Stanford. SURPAS has an extensive website with resources for prospective and current postdocs and international scholars. SURPAS organizes social and academic events, and advocates for postdoctoral needs.

Stanford Black Postdoc Association (SBPA)  The Black Postdoc Association builds community among black postdocs, creating a professional network to support and promote diversity. SBPA provides information about conferences, workshops, seminars, grants/fellowships, travel awards, and volunteer opportunities related to diversity. Join the SBPA mailing list.

Stanford Chinese Postdoc Association (SCPA) The Stanford Chinese Postdoc Association (SCPA) is a vibrant community of Chinese postdocs across all disciplines at Stanford University. The SCPA mission is to create and hold a space for all Chinese postdocs and support them in study, work, and life. Join the SCPA mailing list.

Stanford Latinx Postdoc Association (SLPA) SLPA is your comunidad on campus! We strive to improve, enhance, and enrich the Latinx postdoc experience at Stanford. SLPA welcomes postdocs from all departments to join them in community building, professional development, and networking. SLPA is here to support the presence and growth of the postdoc community through the promotion of diversity and inclusion in higher education. Join the SLPA mailing list.

LGBTQIA+ Postdoc Group Join the LGBTQIA+ mailing list and check out the programming calendar for information about events and group-related resources and activities for members. In addition, other resources at Stanford that may be of interest include:

Stanford Departmental Postdoc Groups

The following groups and associations welcome postdocs and are overseen locally by departments or offices (are not under the purview of OPA). If you would like to include your departmental postdoc group on this list, please contact OPA.

Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H) Postdoc Society ChEM-H, an interdisciplinary institute that aims to connect chemistry, engineering, and medicine for human health, established a postdoc society to bring together researchers to share interests and ideas. Meetings are held twice monthly, and include opportunities to share your work with your colleagues over lunch or drinks, to discuss ideas or articles that interest you, and to meet other researchers with common interests with whom you can generate new ideas and collaborations.

Science and Engineering Graduate Women’s Association (SEGWA) SEGWA is the umbrella organization for all graduate women in science and engineering at Stanford. SEGWA promotes interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between women and women's organizations for increased efficiency and impact of organizational efforts. Stanford students have formed women's groups in many science and engineering departments, sponsoring a variety of community resources including seminars, mentor programs, and social events. SEGWA strives to help individual students and groups publicize and secure funding for events, start new events and groups, and advocate for academic and student life initiatives. Groups affiliated with SEGWA are:

  • Stanford Chemistry Women’s Committee on Graduate Life;
  • Women in Computer Science at Stanford University;
  • Stanford Society of Women Engineers;
  • Women in Electrical Engineering;
  • Mechanical Engineering Women’s Group.
  • Academic Careers in Europe (ACE) ACE hosts events highlighting the academic job search process in Europe. Join their mailing list and LinkedIn group for more info.