We are now accepting applications for the Two Sigma PhD Fellowship. A maximum of six students may be nominated by the department. Applications are due by 5 pm on Monday, October 7, 2024 – full details are listed below. Interested CSE and WHOI students should reach out to their Graduate Administrator for information on their program’s application process.

Eligibility Information

• Applicants must be full-time students currently pursuing a PhD at an accredited university in the United States.
• Students must be in at least their 3rd year of a PhD program when the Fellowship begins (fall semester or 2025).
• Students’ research must be relevant to one of the disciplines listed below:

• • Statistics – Topics of interest include: statistical learning, statistical inference, Bayesian statistics, optimization, time series analysis, high dimensional statistics, non-parametric statistics.
  • Computer Science – Topics of interest include: machine learning & artificial intelligence, deep learning, reinforcement learning, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, computational biology
  • Physics –Topics of interest include: applications of machine learning, simulation and big data techniques to physics, including particle physics, astrophysics, condensed matter.
  • Applied Mathematics – Topics of interest include: linear / nonlinear optimization, numerical analysis, financial mathematics, operations research, probability,  differential equations, signal processing.
  • Finance/Econometrics – Topics of interest include: machine learning & empirical asset pricing, game theory, market microstructures, agent based models, behavioral finance, quantitative finance, volatility modeling and forecast, optimal execution, portfolio optimization, derivatives modeling, high frequency econometrics, theoretical asset pricing dynamic equilibrium models, stochastic models, option pricing, credit risk modeling, asset covariance estimation, inference, high-dimensional data, financial optimization-optimal execution, portfolio optimization, optimal hedging.

• Two Sigma employees, contractors/consultants, and relatives are not eligible.
• Students that are already supported by another industry fellowship are not eligible. Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.

Provisions of the Award

• Fellowship recipients will receive an award for two consecutive Academic years (not to exceed $75,000 USD per Academic year) to cover tuition and fees plus a stipend for living expenses, paid directly to the university. 
• Fellowship recipients will also receive a one-time award of $10,000 USD paid to the Fellowship recipient directly which, as a condition of the fellowship, may only be used for tuition, fees required to enroll at or attend their university, and/or books, supplies, equipment, and course-related fees for courses at their university.
• Runners-up will receive a one-time award of $10,000 USD paid to the Fellowship recipient directly which, as a condition of the fellowship, may only be used for tuition, fees required to enroll at or attend their university, and/or books, supplies, equipment, and course-related fees for courses at their university.
• A Two Sigma Research Mentor will be assigned to the Fellowship recipient and Runners-up.

Application Materials (to be uploaded to application form unless otherwise stated)

• Completed application form
• Current resume/CV
• Academic Transcript (grade report from WebSIS is acceptable)
• Research Proposal (500 word max) listing your main area of focus, relevance to the field and its applicability to Two Sigma. This word count does not include resources/listed references. 
• Brief (~1 paragraph) statement of how your research suits the discipline/s listed above
• Academic Reference 1 – a letter of recommendation to be written by your current advisor and submitted directly to Laura Zaganjori (lauraz@mit.edu) as a PDF without password protection
• Academic Reference 2 – a letter of recommendation to be written by a past advisor or other academic reference submitted directly to Laura Zaganjori (lauraz@mit.edu) as a PDF without password protection

Students selected as departmental nominees will be notified by November 1, 2024. Nominated applications will then be forwarded to Two Sigma for final consideration.

More information on this fellowship, including FAQs, can be found at the 2025 Two Sigma PhD Fellowship webpage. If you have any other questions, please contact Laura Zaganjori (lauraz@mit.edu).

We are now accepting student applications for the Apple Scholars in AI/ML 2025 PhD Fellowship. The Apple Scholars in AI/ML PhD fellowship program recognizes the contributions of emerging leaders in computer science and engineering at the graduate and postgraduate level. The PhD fellowship in AI/ML was created as part of the Apple Scholars program to support the work of outstanding PhD students from around the world, who are pursuing cutting edge research in machine learning and artificial intelligence. 

Eligibility:

• Applicant must be enrolled full time in the PhD program at the start of Fall 2025, and expect to be enrolled through the end of the 2025/2026 academic year
• Applicant should be entering their last 2-3 years of PhD study as of Fall 2024
• Applicant must not hold another industry-sponsored full fellowship while they are an Apple Scholar in AI/ML (Fall 2025 to Summer 2028).
• Applicant must be conducting research in one of Apple’s defined research areas

Prize:  

• Full tuition, health insurance and student life fee coverage for two (2) academic years (starting with Fall 2025 semester)
  
  • If the student only has one year remaining as of the Fall 2025 semester, they receive one (1) academic year of funding
• $40,000 towards living expenses and related expenses
• $5,000 towards research-related travel and associated expenses
• Mentorship with an Apple researcher
• Potential internship opportunities during the fellowship
• Dependent on student status, and contingent upon necessary requirements for employment being met according to relevant employment law

Process: 

• The MechE Department may submit two (2) nominees for consideration for the internal MIT competition.
• Each applicant must be submitted for a unique research area (review research areas here).
• When applying, students may select up to (2) research areas that are most aligned with your work.

Decision Criteria:

• Applications are reviewed and selected based on the strength of the research proposal, the impact the applicant has had on the field thus far (both as a researcher and community citizen), and their demonstrated potential as a leader and collaborator in the field.
• Following is considered during review of research proposal:
  
  • Novelty of the proposal
  • Scientific merit of the proposed approach
  • Potential for impact
  • Alignment with research areas highlighted by Apple
• Unique perspective and experience an applicant brings to the field is also considered

Required Materials:

Please complete the application form by 5 pm on Friday, July 26, 2024. The required materials (PDFs only) are listed below. Please note – letters of recommendation must be submitted by the letter writers directly to lauraz@mit.edu by the July 26^th deadline.

• Student CV and publication list
• Research Abstract (200 word maximum)
• Research statement covering past work and proposed direction for next 2 years (5 page maximum, including citations, in a legible font size) clearly stating the hypothesis and expected contributions to the chosen research area. Personally identifiable information is redacted for reviewers. We recommend not including personally identifiable information in the main body of the research statement in order to maintain research statement clarity for reviewers of the redacted copy.
• 2 letters of recommendation, one must be from your current advisor, 1 page maximum per letter. Letters to be sent directly to lauraz@mit.edu
• Link to most recent published work (optional)
• Documents must be submitted to the application as PDF’s with the file naming convention:
• • “Last name, First name: Resume”
  • “Last name, First name: Research Abstract”
  • “Last name, First name: Research Statement”

Apple strongly encourages students who identify as a member of a traditionally underrepresented group in the technology industry to apply for this fellowship. 

The MechE Department will select two (2) applicants to put forward to OGE. The OGE selection committee will review all departmental applicants and select three (3) PhD students to be submitted to Apple for final consideration. The three (3) selected nominees will be notified by the OGE and provided with any additional information/instructions at that time once their nominations are submitted.

Apple will notify winners by December of 2024.

The MechE Department is now accepting applications for the Google PhD Fellowship. The Department may select up to two nominees for this award and submit them to OGE for final consideration. Full information, including application materials, is listed below. Applications are due by 5 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Google PhD Fellowships directly support graduate students as they pursue their PhD, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor. Google PhD Fellows are a select group recognized by Google researchers and their institutions as some of the most promising young academics in the world. The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the following fields:

• Algorithms and Theory
• Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing
• Health & Bioscience
• Human-Computer Interaction and Visualization
• Machine Intelligence
• Machine Perception
• Natural Language Processing
• Networking
• Quantum Computing
• Security, Privacy and Abuse Prevention
• Software Engineering
• Software Systems
• Speech Processing

Award

• Up to 2-year Fellowship (effective from 2024 for new recipients), which includes the following:

• • Full tuition and fees (enrollment fees, health insurance, books) plus a stipend to be used for living expenses, travel and personal equipment
  • Google Research Mentor

Eligibility

• Students must remain enrolled full-time in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.
• Google employees, and their spouses, children, and members of their household are not eligible.
• Students that are already supported by a comparable industry award are not eligible. Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.
• Past awardees from the PhD Fellowship program are not eligible to apply again.
• Only students who have completed graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins are eligible.

Evaluation

Applications are evaluated on the strength of the research proposal, research impact, student academic achievements, and leadership potential. Research proposals are evaluated for innovative concepts that are relevant to Google’s research areas, as well as aspects of robustness and potential impact to the field. Research should also align with Google AI Principles. Proposals should include the direction and any plans of where your work is going in addition to a comprehensive description of the research you are pursuing. Essay responses are evaluated in addition to application materials to determine an overall recommendation.

Application Materials

• Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (1-page) CV of your primary advisor
• 2-3 Letters of Recommendation from those familiar with your work (at least one from your thesis advisor). All Letters of Recommendation should be submitted directly to Laura Zaganjori (lauraz@mit.edu) as a PDF. The PDF should not be locked or password protected.
• Research / dissertation proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
• Student essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe the desired impact your research will make on the field and society, and why this is important to you. Include any personal, educational and/or professional experiences that have motivated your research interests.
• Student essay response (350-word limit) to: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. (A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family?)
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records

Please submit your application and materials via the Google Form sent via email on 3/15/24. Applications, including all Letters of Recommendation, are due by 5 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

The department is accepting applications for the AY2024-2025 School of Engineering Competitive Fellowships. a detailed list of the fellowships available can be found here. Please read it carefully as each fellowship has its own eligibility and application requirements. To apply, complete a departmental application for each fellowship (links to applications were sent via email on 2/13/24). You may apply for any that you are eligible. Applications are due by 5 pm on Monday, March 4, 2024.

A few things to note:

• Please complete the student section of the attached Cover Sheet and upload it directly to the application with your other materials.
• Letters of Recommendation are due by 5 pm on Monday, March 4, 2024 and should be submitted directly by your research advisors to Laura Zaganjori as PDFs. Please ask your advisors to save the PDF without password protection.
• The department will select nominees for each fellowship and submit them to SOE for final consideration.

Generous donors have provided MIT with permanent funds in support of fellowships, many of which have unique restrictions.

The Office of Graduate Education administers a number of these endowed fellowships through an annual competition in March. All nominations (both for new awards and for renewal requests) must be submitted by the departmental graduate office on behalf of the student.

Full list of OGE Fellowships and their requirements can be found here.

The 12th Annual Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation is open to PhD students working in the Biomedical Sciences. The MechE Department may select two nominees to be submitted for consideration of becoming an MIT finalist. Full prize and application details are listed below. The deadline for applications is 5 pm on Friday, February 2, 2024.

The Regeneron Prize “recognizes and honors Creativity and Innovation by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Biomedical Sciences.” Regeneron is asking MIT to submit two PhD candidates and two postdoctoral candidates to compete for this prize. (This call is for PhD student nominations only, the postdoctoral competition to be organized by the Vice President for Research Office).

Prize: Two (2) applicants are selected to receive the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation each year. Each winner receives a check for $50,000, which can be used in any way the winner chooses. Finalists are each awarded $5,000. In addition, the home institution of the winners will each receive a $5,000 donation to support the institution’s seminar series. Approximately 8-10 applicants will be selected for finalist status. Finalists may be invited to visit Regeneron for the onsite competition, travel expenses paid.

Process: Each graduate program may submit two nominations for consideration for this internal MIT competition. The selection committee will then select two graduate student finalists to be nominated for the final review and consideration for this prize by Regeneron. The 2 selected nominees will be notified by the OGE and provided instructions on this process.

Application materials:

• Full academic CV
• Letter of recommendation from research advisor
• Dream Project (Guidelines here, up to 2 pages not including references, no smaller than 10-point font)
  • The research proposed must be within the field of biomedicine, broadly defined
  • The proposal must be no more than two single-spaced pages (no smaller than 10-point font). References do not need to be included within the two-page limit, but any figures, etc. should be.
  • Proposals must clearly define a specific experiment or series of experiments including a rationale, basic methodology/design (citing literature is fine), and discussion of how the experiment’s results would advance the field. Preliminary data is not necessary.
  • The work should be entirely original, and therefore not a straightforward extension of the applicant’s current work, or that of the applicant’s PI.
  • The Selection Committee will review proposals not only based on scientific merit but also on creativity and originality.
• Published papers as evidence of scholarly achievement.

The Pillar AI Collective Fellowship is a new fellowship opportunity. These fellowships are designated for Masters or PhD students in their final year, conducting research in the areas of AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science, with the goal of supporting translation. Fellows will be expected to participate in programming for the Pillar AI Collective, including lunch-and-learns and expert office hours.  

Pillar AI Collective Fellowship Details

6 one-term fellowships will be provided towards stipend (standard MIT rate), tuition, and single health insurance, to be used during the Spring 2024 term.

Fellowships cannot be deferred. 

Application requirements

• Cover sheet 
• CV
• A one-page research statement from student, which includes a description of the technology or research innovation that they believe has potential for commercialization. Please include links to research papers as appropriate.
• Half-page personal statement from student, reflecting on their potential as an entrepreneur and the qualities, skills, and experiences that reflect the student’s desire and ability to commercialize new technology.
• A letter of recommendation from the student’s research advisor that speaks to the applicant’s entrepreneurial qualities, including determination, creativity, flexibility and decisiveness.  

Please submit materials as a single PDF to Laura Zaganjori (lauraz@mit.edu).

Applications must be submitted no later than November 28, 2023.

Generous donors have provided MIT with permanent funds in support of stipend awards for students who fall into unique categories. The Office of Graduate Education administers these awards through an annual competition. 

The Department of Mechanical Engineering may nominate one student for each award. If you would like to be considered for any of these awards by the department, please complete an application (links below) by Monday, December 18, 2023.

This year, there are four awards available:

• Elie Shaio Memorial Award
  Eligibility: First preference to graduates of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel; second preference to any Israeli citizen who has completed a degree at any university in Israel; and third preference to any graduate student in any department who is recommended by the Board of Directors of the B’Nai B’rith Hillel Foundation.
  Field: Schools of Engineering or Science, or the Department of Economics
  Amount: $5,000 stipend
  Tenure: One-time award, not renewable
  Application Requirements: Resumé and Transcript (unofficial transcript or grade report is fine)
  
• NEEKEYFAR Fund Award
  Eligibility: For a graduate student from Iran.
  Field: Unrestricted
  Amount: $5,000 stipend
  Tenure: One-time award, not renewable
  Application Requirements: Resumé, Student Statement of Iranian Background, and Transcript (unofficial transcript or grade report is fine)
• Robert B. Guenassia Award
  Eligibility: For a graduate student from either the Ecole Centrale or the Lycée Louis le Grand
  Field: Unrestricted
  Amount: $5,000 stipend
  Tenure: One-time award, not renewable
  Application requirements: Resumé and Transcript (unofficial transcript or grade report is fine)
• Ho-Ching and Han-Ching Fund Award
  Eligibility: For an enrolled or incoming graduate student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai, China). A second preference will be given to graduates from other Chinese engineering universities if no students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University are currently enrolled or have been offered admission.
  Field: Unrestricted
  Amount: $5,000 stipend
  Tenure: One-time award, not renewable
  Application Requirements: Resumé and Transcript (unofficial transcript or grade report is fine)

Please note, all application materials must be formatted as PDFs.

All applications are due by Monday, December 18, 2023.

The Will of Dolores Zohrab Liebmann created a perpetual charitable trust designated as “The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund” for the purpose of funding advanced education and graduate study grants, which must be carried out entirely in the United States of America. The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships are to be awarded only to candidates who have outstanding undergraduate and graduate records, have demonstrated a need for financial assistance, are citizens of the United States of America, are enrolled in accredited colleges and universities in the United States and have received baccalaureate degrees.

The amount of each Fellowship will cover the cost of tuition only (no fees) and a stipend to be allocated towards room, board, living expenses and income taxes. The Trustee has set the stipend at $18,000 for this year. The terms and conditions of the award can be viewed here. Note, through reapplying each year, this fellowship is renewable up to three years.

Each department may submit up to three nominees the Institute can submit for consideration. If you are interested in applying to be a nominee for Mechanical Engineering, please complete the application no later than December 27, 2023. 

Application Requirements (documents to be uploaded directly to the application form):

• A completed application form.
• One copy of your personal vitae or résumé.
• Certified copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts to date.
• Copy of graduate exam test scores (if applicable).
• A Statement of Purpose up to three pages long (double spaced) which considers the relationship between your graduate level study and your intended personal and/or professional goals. Your Statement of Purpose must include a 10-15 line abstract at the top (included in the three pages) that explains, in LAYMAN’S terms, the essence of your proposed topic of study or dissertation, the methodology of its treatment and its anticipated impact on your field of study.
• Letter of Recommendation from Dean of Graduate School or Department Chair. (OPTIONAL)
• Letters of Recommendation from at least two professors who have taught or worked closely with you. (REQUIRED)
• Copy of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA).
• Financial Aid information from MIT or other applicable source.
• Copies of Federal Income Tax Returns for the prior two years (including spouse’s returns, if applicable). Only submit Tax Return Form – DO NOT send schedules, etc.

*If any of the documents above are not applicable, please include a statement in its place in the application that explains why the item is not applicable.

Eligibility:

• Fellowships are available to students who are currently enrolled in and pursuing a graduate degree at a designated institution of higher learning located in the United States of America.
• The program of study being pursued by the candidate may include any recognized field of study in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences (including law, medicine, engineering, architecture or other formal professional training).
• The candidate must demonstrate a need for financial assistance. 
• The candidate must be a citizen of the United States of America.
• The candidate may be of any national descent or background.

History:

Mrs. Liebmann was the daughter of a prominent Armenian intellectual, writer and statesman and was married to one of the owners of a successful American business. She supported students and educational and charitable organizations during her lifetime. Mrs. Liebmann’s primary concern, as expressed in her Will, was to attract and support students with outstanding character and ability who hold promise for achievement and distinction in their chosen fields of study. The trustees welcome applications from students of all national origins who are United States citizens.

The MIT Pillar AI Collective Fellowship is a new fellowship opportunity. These fellowships are designated for Masters or PhD students in their final year, conducting research in the areas of AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science, with the goal of supporting translation. Fellows will be expected to participate in programming for the Pillar AI Collective, including lunch-and-learns and expert office hours. Make sure to check out the MIT Pillar AI Collective website for information about past fellows and activities.

Pillar AI Collective Fellowship Details

• Up to 3 one-term fellowships will be provided in the amount of $49,744 per fellowship for stipend, tuition, and single health insurance, to be used during the Fall 2023 term.
• Fellowships cannot be deferred. There will be a second call for this fellowship later this fall for Spring 2024 fellows.

Application requirements

• Cover sheet – required for Non-SoE applicants.
• CV
• A one-page research statement from the student, which includes a description of the technology or research innovation that they believe has potential for commercialization. Please include links to research papers as appropriate.
• Half-page personal statement from student, reflecting on their potential as an entrepreneur and the qualities, skills, and experiences that reflect the student’s desire and ability to commercialize new technology.

A letter of recommendation from the student’s research advisor that speaks to the applicant’s entrepreneurial qualities, including determination, creativity, flexibility and decisiveness. The letter of recommendation should be emailed to soe-fellowship@mit.edu.

Applications must be submitted no later than September 29, 2023.

The internal call for graduate student nominations for the Apple Scholars in AI/ML 2024 PhD Fellowship is now open. The Apple Scholars in AI/ML PhD fellowship program recognizes the contributions of emerging leaders in computer science and engineering at the graduate and postgraduate level. The PhD fellowship in AI/ML was created as part of the Apple Scholars program to support the work of outstanding PhD students from around the world, who are pursuing cutting edge research in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Prize:  Three (3) PhD students with two or three academic years remaining in their program as of the Fall 2023 semester will have their nominations submitted to Apple for consideration. Each winner receives the following:

• Full tuition and fee coverage for two (2) academic years (starting with Fall 2024 semester)
  • If the student only has one year remaining as of the Fall 2024 semester, they receive one (1) academic year of funding
• $40,000 towards living expenses and related expenses
• $5,000 towards research-related travel and associated expenses

Process: Each graduate program may submit three (3) nominations for consideration for the internal MIT competition. Each nominee must be submitted for a unique research area (review research areas here). Nominees can be working towards their PhD in computer science or adjacent fields. Nominees from engineering fields, statistics, informatics and related disciplines who are conducting research in one of the research areas are welcome.

Apple strongly encourages students who identify as a member of a traditionally underrepresented group in the technology industry to apply for this fellowship. 

The call for MechE nominations will close on Friday, July 24, 2023. We will submit three nominees and the OGE selection committee will then review and select three (3) graduate student finalists to be submitted to Apple for the final review and consideration for this fellowship. The three (3) selected nominees will be notified by the OGE and provided with any additional information/instructions at that time once their nominations are submitted.

Apple will review nominations and make selections based on the strength of the research proposal, the impact the nominee has had on the field thus far (both as a researcher and community citizen), and their demonstrated potential as a leader and collaborator in the field. When reviewing the research proposal, they consider the following: Novelty of the proposal, scientific merit of the proposed approach, potential for impact, and alignment with research areas highlighted by Apple. They also consider the unique perspective and experience each nominee brings to the field.

Apple will notify winners of the fellowship in late December 2023/early January 2024.

Application materials:

Required materials include the following:

• Student CV
• Research Abstract (200 Word Max)
• Research statement covering past work and proposed direction for next 2 years (5 page maximum, including citations, in a legible font size) clearly stating the hypothesis and expected contributions to the chosen research area
• 2 Letters of Recommendation, with one being from current advisor (1 page maximum per letter, combine letters into single attachment)
• Link to most recently published work (optional)

All information should be submitted in individual files (except for the 2 letters of recommendation) by sending to saana@mit.edu.

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