At MIT, we’re firm believers that engineering excellence knows no bounds.

That’s why, in 2021, we proudly launched the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Engineering Excellence. This effort is dedicated to uncovering, nurturing, and empowering postdocs with diverse personal histories.

Our vision is clear: a future where the field of engineering is a vibrant tapestry of unique voices and perspectives. By championing inclusive excellence, the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Engineering Excellence aspires to create environments where innovation thrives and every scholar, regardless of background, is empowered to reach their full potential and contribute to transformative advancements in engineering.

During their two-year tenure at the MIT School of Engineering, our talented fellows dive headfirst into their respective disciplines, contributing invaluable insights and driving the frontiers of knowledge forward.

The program arranges a set of professional development opportunities as presentations and discussions for the cohort along three career paths:

1. Research Track: This opportunity provides fellows with a clear roadmap to succeed in research, whether in academia or elsewhere, guided by the renowned faculty of the MIT School of Engineering. It is meticulously crafted to equip fellows with indispensable skills for research career success. Fellows engage in tailored seminars and workshops on research, job applications, and research collaboration. They also explore networking, mentorship, and strategies for addressing biases, all enriched by resources from valued internal and external partnerships.
   
   
2. Leadership Track: Through the Daniel J. Riccio Graduate Engineering Leadership Program, postdocs can participate in a dynamic series of experiential workshops to unlock their leadership potential. Topics include creating a shared vision, team formation and development, enabling inclusion, and making ethical decisions. These interactive sessions help postdocs develop the skills necessary to attract and inspire students, effectively organize their research groups, and present a persuasive vision to prospective collaborators.
   
   
3. Entrepreneurship Track: In conjunction with the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, fellows engage in interactive lessons and discussions highlighting an entrepreneurial approach’s cross-sector benefits. Topics include protecting and translating ideas, individual purpose and mission scoping, team building, understanding technology opportunities in the marketplace, and fundraising strategies. These skills are transferable to any career path and help individuals engage with the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cambridge, Boston, and beyond.

Pursuing this postdoctoral position is an opportunity to deepen training, develop research independence, and pivot research direction. It also provides trainees time to explore career options and serves as a stepping stone for the next phase of their career.

Another cornerstone of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program lies in its community-oriented framework, thoughtfully created to cultivate a sense of camaraderie and support among cohorts as they navigate their postdoctoral journey at MIT. Regularly scheduled social gatherings serve as vibrant hubs for networking opportunities, allowing fellows to forge meaningful connections that extend beyond the laboratory. These events facilitate academic collaboration and provide a nurturing environment for personal growth and well-being, ensuring that every fellow feels empowered to thrive professionally and personally during their tenure at MIT and beyond.

Postdoctoral Fellows in the News:

• MIT News — A biomedical engineer pivots from human movement to women’s health
• MIT News — Computational imaging researcher attended a lecture, found her career

Finding a Postdoctoral Research Advisor

In the application process, we encourage applicants to come prepared with ideas for projects they wish to accomplish during their tenure in the program. Additionally, applicants should identify leading researchers who can help them develop and pursue their research interests.

The School of Engineering has over 350 faculty members who can serve as a postdoctoral research advisor. A postdoc’s advisor is a key member of their research and mentoring team. Take a moment to explore the departmental faculty pages below. In the fellowship application, we ask applicants to name faculty members of interest within the School of Engineering who align with their research direction. For those interested in working with MIT faculty outside the School of Engineering, applicants should consider School of Engineering faculty who can serve as a co-advisor. The program will also help match fellows with appropriate advisors.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics Faculty
• Biological Engineering Faculty
• Chemical Engineering Faculty
• Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty
• Institute of Medical Engineering and Science Faculty
• Materials Science and Engineering Faculty
• Mechanical Engineering Faculty
• Nuclear Science Engineering Faculty

Funding

The program expects to select 10 School of Engineering Distinguished Doctoral Fellows per cohort. These fellows receive funding for two years, including a $75,000 salary and a $5,000 per year discretionary expense allowance. This allowance can be used to cover relocation costs among other items. 

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply?

Individuals within one year of completing their PhD who have the potential to bring to one’s academic career the critical perspective that comes from a non-traditional educational background, including, for example, through: 

• • Attendance at schools in underserved, under-resourced, rural, or urban communities or with low admittance rates to top-tier institutions.
  • Participation in higher education pipeline programs known to prepare students for the relevant MIT program.
  • Communication skills and cross-cultural abilities to maximize effective collaboration with a diverse cross-section of the academic community.
  • Demonstrated significant academic achievement by overcoming barriers such as economic, social, or educational disadvantage, including factors such as generational wealth, Pell Grant eligibility or similar governmental or institutional funding for students with exceptional financial need, qualification for free/reduced lunch, first-generation to college, or parent(s) level of education.
  • Demonstrated experience and potential to navigate and contribute to an educational environment representing a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives.
  • Academic service advancing equitable access to higher education.
  • Leadership experience advancing belonging, achievement, and composition.  
  • Research interests focused on underserved populations and understanding issues of inequalities. For example:
    • research that addresses topics such as race, gender, diversity, and inclusion.
    • research that addresses health disparities, educational access and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights, and other questions affecting historically underrepresented groups.
    • artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities.

We strongly encourage individuals from backgrounds less represented in science and engineering to apply, including those who identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. 

All applicants will be considered equitably, without regard to race or ethnicity.

Other postdoctoral fellowship opportunities

If your research interests lie in computer science and artificial intelligence, please consider also applying to MEnTorEd Opportunities in Research (METEOR) in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.

For Application Details: Click Here