SERC Scholars Program
Join a community of undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty to help advance the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing cross-cutting initiative on Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing.
What do SERC Scholars do?
- Led by a SERC postdoctoral student, collaborate in multidisciplinary teams with members from across computing, data sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences
- Develop and pilot new SERC course materials in collaboration with postdocs and faculty
- Engage with external partners to advance AI in the public interest
- Conduct research in a new, exciting cross-disciplinary area
Who is eligible to be apply?
This opportunity is open to students across the MIT community who are excited to advance our broad mission to incorporate humanities, social science, social responsibility, and policy/civic perspectives into MIT’s teaching, research, and implementation of computing. SERC Scholars are hourly funded positions with selective and limited yearly enrollment.
What additional opportunities do SERC Scholars have?
- Regular lunches and talks with SERC Scholars
- Small-group meet-and-greets with pioneering leaders from academia, industry, and the public sectors
Projects
SERC Scholars will have the opportunity to work on 1 of 5 projects, such as FemTech or ethical issues in digital technologies. Undergraduates will be required to participate in one of these projects. Graduate students will have the option to join a project or work with faculty action groups.
Each project will meet weekly for approximately one hour. SERC Scholars are required to attend at least 75% of group meetings.
Apply to be a SERC Scholar
Undergraduates
- This is a funded position for 2–4 hrs/wk during the 2022–2023 academic year, or 8–10 hrs/wk for a term
- Experiential Ethics preferred
- Compensation: $15/hr
- USA work authorization required
- Mandatory participation in a SERC postdoc group
How to apply
- Resume that includes:
1) Relevant coursework
2) Relevant experiences
3) GPA - Cover letter that includes:
1) Why you’re interested in this experience
2) What you hope you can gain
3) What you hope to contribute
4) Which activities and opportunities you’re most interested in engaging with
5) Which terms you want to be involved in: Fall 2022, IAP 2023, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 - Rank project participation preference and explain in 100 words or less why you want to work in your preferred project(s).
Please submit your application materials to Cory Harris by September 20, 2022.
Graduate students
- This a funded position for 6–10 hrs/wk for 2 of 3 terms (Fall, Spring, Summer) during the 2022–2023 academic year
- Compensation: $25/hr
- USA work authorization required
How to apply
- Resume that includes:
1) Relevant coursework
2) Relevant experience
3) GPA - Cover letter that includes:
1) Why you’re interested in this experience
2) What you hope you can gain
3) What you hope to contribute
4) Which activities and opportunities you’re most interested in engaging with
5) Which terms you want to be involved in: Fall 2022, IAP 2023, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 - Your academic home, supervisor, and point of contact
- Whether you hold an RA appointment
- Your work will either involve working with a faculty action group or a postdoc project. If you are assigned to a postdoc project, it is important for us to know your preference. Please indicate what your first choice would be.
Please submit your application materials to Cory Harris by September 20, 2022.
SERC Scholars
We are grateful to the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation for providing funding to launch this program.