SPICE Projects
The Student Projects for Intellectual Community Enhancement (SPICE) initiative supports a wide variety of projects across all Stanford schools. While we do not limit project types as long as they adhere to our guidelines, awarded projects tend to fall into one of the categories described below.
One-Time Events
SPICE projects in this category involve one-time events, such as colloquia, conferences, and featured speakers.
Featured Example: Across Air and Space: This one-day colloquium will involve research presentations and discussions from across the engineering spectrum. An invited keynote speaker will highlight the importance of interdisciplinary research, enhance cross-collaboration efforts and improve networking opportunities.
Mentorship/Community Groups
SPICE projects in this category involve regular meetings to discuss developing transferable skills and/or support in a particular field. This can also include speaker series.
Featured Example: AMO Student Seminar (pizzAMO): PizzAMO is a biweekly seminar series for Stanford Physics students and postdocs interested in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics, offering an informal, supportive space to sharpen presentation skills, prepare for exams, practice conference talks, and exchange ideas across AMO groups.
Reading/Research/Writing Groups
SPICE projects in this category involve regular meetings to discuss and/or provide feedback on readings, research, and/or written work on a specific intellectual topic. This can also include speaker series.
Featured Example: South-South Assemblages: This project is dedicated to fostering intellectual community among scholars from the Global South, creating dialogues in postcolonial and decolonial thought through quarterly reading groups with curated texts on the Global South, structured around thematic provocations.
Single-Project Initiatives
SPICE projects in this category include a specific project that participants work on together.
Featured Example: Stanford Jail and Prison Education Project: Since 2012, SJPEP has helped fill the jail programming gap, connecting 40+ Stanford students per quarter from 30+ academic disciplines to design, teach, and learn in interdisciplinary courses within Bay Area jails and prisons, reaching hundreds of incarcerated students. Classes include creativity-based courses, seminar series, and book clubs. Learn more here!