Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Advances in artificial intelligence hold great promise for accelerating scientific discovery and heightening creativity. The new Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at MIT, sponsored by the Schwarzman College of Computing, focuses on AI for addressing the most challenging problems in select scientific disciplinary areas, and on AI for music composition and performance. The program concentrates on work that brings cutting-edge AI to bear on research in scientific discovery or music, to advance both the research area and the development of relevant AI methods.

Program Details & Benefits

Candidates will be working on projects at the forefront of one of the six disciplinary areas:

  • Biology/Bioengineering
  • Brain and Cognitive Sciences
  • Chemistry/Chemical Engineering
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Music
  • Physics

Each fellow in the program will have a faculty mentor in the disciplinary area as well as in AI. A key aspect of the program, and of the candidate selection process, is identifying a match with a MIT faculty mentor in the disciplinary area, and an additional mentor with relevant interests who works in AI. In the application form, applicants should provide names of faculty at MIT that are closest to their proposed work, both in the disciplinary area and in AI.
 
MIT seeks outstanding candidates for the 2025-26 program. Participants need to have received their doctoral degree prior to starting the program and must start no later than September 1, 2025, for this program cycle. The fellowship term is for one year, possibly renewable for a second term.
 
Fellows that are accepted into the program will be awarded a stipend starting at $75,000 annually, plus MIT benefits. The program will also provide recipients with travel grants for academic conferences as well as computer access and various programmatic activities. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Application Requirements

  • One-page research statement*
  • CV
  • Two letters of recommendation**
  • Additional requested information in the applicant form

Preference will be given to applicants who have not been a student or researcher at MIT in the previous two years.

*Research statement should describe the research you wish to complete as a Tayebati fellow.
 
**Reference letters should be from individuals who are familiar with your research and can speak directly to your abilities, work ethic, and contributions in your field. Ideally, these references should be people who have closely observed your research process, your analytical skills, and your overall academic performance. They should be able to provide specific examples and insights into your strengths, your approach to problem-solving, and your potential for future success.

To receive full consideration, all application materials (including letters of recommendation) must be submitted by December 31, 2024.

Award letters are expected to be sent in March 2025.

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