Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at MIT supports exceptional researchers whose work explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in select science and engineering fields or in music.
Hosted by the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, the program fosters research at the forefront of AI, where novel computational approaches can advance scientific discovery or expand the possibilities of music composition and performance. By encouraging ambitious, interdisciplinary scholarship, the fellowship seeks to generate meaningful progress both within these domains and in the development of new AI methods more broadly.
Tayebati Fellows benefit from an environment designed to support their academic and professional growth while enabling them to pursue ambitious, high-impact research. Each fellow is jointly mentored by an MIT faculty member in their chosen disciplinary area and an MIT faculty member who works in artificial intelligence, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
Program Details & Benefits
Candidates should pursue research that combines AI with one of the following six disciplinary areas:
- Biology or Bioengineering
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences
- Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Music
- Physics
A key aspect of the program, and of the candidate selection process, is the identification of relevant MIT faculty mentors. In the application form, applicants should provide names of faculty at MIT who are closest to their proposed work, both in the disciplinary area and in AI.
Fellows will be awarded a stipend in the range of $73,308 to $90,000 annually, plus MIT benefits. The program will also provide recipients with computing resources, travel grants for academic conferences, and a variety of programmatic activities.
MIT now invites applications for the 2027–2028 cohort of fellows. Prospective fellows must have received their doctoral degree between January 1, 2024 and August 31, 2027 and must start no later than September 1, 2027. Each postdoctoral appointment is for 24 months, with continuation into the second-year contingent upon satisfactory performance, as determined through an annual review.
Application Requirements
- Two-page research statement
- CV
- Two letters of recommendation
- Additional information as requested in the application form
Preference will be given to applicants who have not been a student or researcher at MIT in the previous two years.
Visa sponsorship is not available.
Complete applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on November 1, 2026.
MIT is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin. View MIT Policy on Non Discrimination and EEOC’s Know Your Rights. Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including possible verification of any findings of misconduct (or pending investigations) from prior employers.
Please email scc-postdocs@mit.edu with any questions.
