For Students
Welcome to the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Project!
Download our comprehensive Student Guide to learn more!
Get started here on your SHIP journey!
Step 1: Form a Team
Look over all 10 challenges and identify your top few of interest. Consider ranking all options. Find students with a similar interest as you, since you will form teams based on your project of interest.
Be sure to include members of diverse thought, background, and skillsets in order to have a strong team.
Consider assigning flexible roles [such as organizer, researcher, coder, designer, or engineer leads] and remember that all project elements are collaborative.
Set team agreements such as how to best interact, make decisions, and stay on track.
Step 2: Form an Abstract
An abstract is a short summary of your project idea. It is intended to help you get started in thinking about your project and working as a team. It will also help your mentor understand how best to support you.
Think of the abstract as a project proposal: what problem you’re solving, why it matters, and how you’ll approach it. Walk through some of your next steps, and don’t worry if the challenge isn’t fully solved… that’s what the next 10 weeks are for!
Step 3: Submit your Team and Abstract
Due January 16th, 2026
When you are ready to submit, compile all information into a single document (please use the template!) and upload to the SHIP website submission portal.
If using Google Docs, please download as a PDF before uploading and do not just share a link.
Step 4: Project Delivery
The 10 challenge areas are intentionally broad, open ended concepts. Feel free to interpret the challenge and present your solution in creative ways.
At minimum, you will complete an 8-slide presentation containing brainstorming, initial theories, background research, reasoning and evidence, process and testing, analysis, and solution. Please use the following template and feel free to add slides or supplement your presentation with other tools.
A few ideas on supplemental deliverables include, but are not limited to:
Poster, process video, sketch or drawing, prototype, interview or survey responses, field perspectives, 3-D model
Note: you can use any combination of these or come up with something else too!
Be prepared to talk through your thought process and reasoning
Submit your team names and abstract by January 16, 2026!
Timeline
Launch Event
December 2025
- Stanford to share project details and past examples
- SVLG/K16 to share commitment and timeline
- SHIP website launches (December 9, 2025)
Team Formation
January 2026
- Student groups finalized
- Students submit abstract (January 16, 2026)
- Groups paired with mentor
- First mentor-team meeting and project development begins
Purpose Statements
February 2026
- Work weekly in student teams and meet monthly with mentor
- Logistics for final student showcase
Project Development Continues
March 2026
- Mentor meetings and project development continue
- Plan for final presentation
Final Student Showcase
April 2026
- Preliminary presentations encouraged
- Culminating event for participating students; select groups from preliminary rounds advance to judging portion of final presentations.