Financial Resources

Covering expenses can be challenging on a postdoc budget, especially when life circumstances come up. A few options for financial aid are available to postdocs, depending on circumstance. Additionally, we’re including some resources that may be useful for financial planning. As always, you can dig through the OPA website for additional resources that may be posted.

Financial Assistance Programs (From OPA)

1. Emergency Grant-in-Aid
   This program can be used to cover unexpected expenses that arise in your life. While this program has the word “emergency” in its name, you do not need to wait until you are in dire situations (eg food insecurity, accrue significant debt) to apply for it. Circumstances that may put you under financial distress and qualify you for assistance include: a sudden increase in rent, an unexpected need to move and pay an additional security deposit, an unexpected medical expense, loss of income or financial support due to separation from a partner etc.
2. Childcare Assistance Program
   Postdocs with children and a collective annual household income of $150,000 or less may apply for this program to offset some of the childcare costs.
3. Family Grant Program
   Postdocs with children and a collective annual household income of $150,000 or less may apply for this program to offset family expenses such as healthcare and rent.
4. Backup Childcare Program
   This program works a bit like insurance for when you need emergency childcare (ie when school is closed, or regular sitter is out of town). Plus a couple of other perks.

Other Financial Resources

1. Food Pantry Pop Up “In partnership with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Stanford R&DE hosts monthly pop-up food pantries for undergraduate and graduate students and their affiliates who need additional food support. Each student household is eligible to receive produce, dairy, meat or poultry and non-perishable items at no cost. The initial pop-up events have included seasonally appropriate stone fruits, apples, squash, and greens, plus chicken, cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs, legumes, cereal, and peanut butter among other food items.”

A note about financial hardship and challenges as a postdoc: As an association of postdocs, we are all to familiar with how difficult it is to cover expenses on a postdoc salary. We work constantly to make sure this issue stays on the minds of Stanford administration. We also need your help to share your stories in order help us help Stanford faculty and admins understand just how difficult it can be to live on a postdoc salary. You can start with an email to surpasleadership@stanford.edu.