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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