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Located Inside: Research Policy Handbook

Summary:

Clarifies the registration status of persons who are visiting Stanford for the purpose of conducting research under the supervision of a Stanford faculty member. Such visitors will register as non-matriculated graduate students in the Permit for Services Only (PSO) category.

Related Research Policy Handbook Documents:

9.6    Visiting Scholars

SEE ALSO:  Registration Procedures - Visiting Researchers
             Registrar's web site - Stanford access only

Authority:

University Registrar

Contact Person:

Assistant Dean of Research

   BACKGROUND

Stanford faculty are sometimes asked to supervise the research of visitors who are not visiting scholars under current Stanford policy. The definitions for a visiting scholar states that a person must hold a Ph.D. (or its equivalent from a country other than the United States) or be a recognized expert in the field. There are a limited number of instances, however, when it would be to the benefit of Stanford faculty to permit persons who have not yet attained the Ph.D. or who are not recognized experts in their fields to engage in research on the Stanford campus using Stanford research facilities. Such instances might include students at other universities who are engaged in research at the doctoral level and who are doing research in a field of interest to a Stanford faculty member; a person who is doing a laboratory rotation as part of a larger research study or grant; or employees of companies who are conducting research who need to use specialized equipment available only at Stanford.

When agreeing to invite such individuals to conduct research at Stanford, faculty must be mindful of the need to place primary emphasis on providing research opportunities to regularly matriculated Stanford students. In addition, invited persons must be qualified to conduct research at a level comparable to that of other Stanford graduate students, and the research must be of benefit to Stanford as well as the visitor.

   ENROLLMENT STATUS

Visiting researchers will be registered in a new category: "Non-Matriculated Graduate Students - Visiting Researchers." They will be charged the Permit for Services Only (PSO) tuition rate. The PSO rate is set annually by the Board of Trustees. In addition, visiting researchers will be charged for student health insurance unless they document that they have comparable coverage with another carrier.

Persons registered in the PSO category are not permitted to enroll in any classes. If visiting researchers wish to take classes at Stanford, they should contact the Graduate Admissions Office and request an application for non-matriculated student status. A complete application, including letters of recommendation and official transcripts, would be required one month before the start of a given quarter. Non-matriculated students must register for a minimum of eight units and are charged the regular tuition rate.

Visiting researchers from other U.S. universities who have educational loans cannot be certified by Stanford for loan deferments because they are neither matriculated at Stanford nor are they carrying a full-time course load. If the researcher is still matriculated at another university in the United States, s/he should contact the institution regarding eligibility for loan deferments.

The visiting researcher status is valid for one academic year. The status may be extended once for an additional academic year using the procedures outlined below. The academic year begins in September with the Fall Quarter.

   ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES

Contact the Registrar's Office for the documents that must be completed to enroll persons as visiting researchers, including a Patent and Copyright Agreement for Stanford Personnel (SU-18). Requests for this status must be approved by the faculty member with whom the researcher will be working and the Chair of the faculty member's department. In the case of visiting researchers from SLAC, the approval must be given by the Director.

   VISITING RESEARCHERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

Citizens of other countries who enter the United States for the purpose of being visiting researchers at Stanford must have an DS-2019 (certification for J-1 visa status) issued by the Bechtel International Center prior to their arrival in this country. Contact the Bechtel Center for further information. Visiting researchers must be registered each quarter, including summer, in order to maintain their visa status. Students from other countries will also need to complete a Declaration of Finances form to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to pay the associated tuition and fees and to live in the U.S.

   PAYMENT/EMPLOYMENT

Visiting researchers are responsible for paying the PSO tuition rate and any other applicable fees each quarter. If the department wishes to pay the tuition and fees on the researcher's behalf, payment must be made through the GFS system.

Note: When departments pay tuition and fees for non-matriculated students, these payments are considered taxable income to the researcher. For non-resident aliens, this income will be subject to withholding and will be reported to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Visiting researchers are not eligible to be paid as graduate research assistants or as graduate teaching assistants. They may not receive stipends from University scholarships/fellowships.

Visiting researchers must remain current in their payments to the University to maintain their visiting researcher status. Persons who are delinquent in their payments will lose their status as a visiting researcher, and, if applicable, their J-1 visa status will be terminated.

   SERVICES AVAILABLE

Persons who are registered as visiting researchers will be entitled to receive a student photo identification card. The card will permit the researcher entry and borrowing privileges from the library at the same level as other non-matriculated students, use of recreational facilities, and use of the Vaden Health Center. Researchers will also be eligible to open computer accounts. These services will only be available during the quarters when the PSO tuition has been paid.

Graduate student housing is available, as for other non-matriculated students, only after all matriculated Stanford students have obtained housing. For the purposes of planning for housing, it is best to assume that student housing will not be available on campus for visiting researchers.