The McGovern Institute is a unique interdisciplinary research environment in which postdocs work closely with faculty, honing their scientific skills in preparation for tenure-track positions at major universities or significant research positions in industry.
Postdocs are appointed with the title Postdoctoral Fellow or Postdoctoral Associate depending on the type and source of funding. The MIT title of Postdoctoral Associate applies to those who are paid a salary by MIT. Their salary is usually charged to a grant or contract secured by their faculty mentor.
The MIT title of Postdoctoral Fellow applies to scholars who receive financial support in the form of a fellowship or stipend, usually from an outside agency, either directly or distributed through MIT on behalf of the sponsor. Typically, fellows are responsible for applying for a fellowship award.
MIT provides detailed descriptions and requirements for postdoctoral associate and postdoctoral fellow appointments.
Highlighted Postdoc Opportunities
Most postdoctoral opportunities at the McGovern Institute can be found on the MIT Careers page. Applicants interested in McGovern postdoc positions that are not listed on the MIT Careers page should contact McGovern faculty directly.
Postdoctoral Fellowships for Underrepresented Scholars
We believe that a diverse and inclusive community is critical to the advancement of science and we are committed to creating an atmosphere of civility, collegiality, and mutual respect that stimulates and supports all McGovern scholars and employees in their work. As part of this commitment, we offer postdoctoral fellowships to recent PhD graduates belonging to underrepresented groups in STEM.
Qualifications
- Recent PhD graduates from groups underrepresented in STEM, with preference for those who identify as African American, Indigenous or Native American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, or those with disabilities
- US citizenship or permanent residency status
Research Opportunities
- Develop a neuroscience career in world-class labs that study psychiatric disorders, molecular therapeutics, or autism
- Collaborate with colleagues to create cutting-edge techniques in molecular genetics, functional neuroimaging, bionics, animal modeling, and computation
- Be part of a team that uses multiple approaches to understanding the brain, including computational biology, cognitive science, psychology, molecular and cellular biology, physiology, and biological engineering
- Join a dynamic community led by MIT faculty with departmental appointments in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Biological Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Media Arts and Sciences, Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Duration
- 3 years, with the possibility of extension
Stipend and Benefits
- Competitive postdoctoral fellow stipend ($65,000)
- MIT health benefits and other perks including free, unrestricted access to the MBTA subway and local bus systems, work-life and wellness programs, and subsidized moving expenses
Interested?
Submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter, and citizenship status to McGovern Institute Scientific Advisor, Jill Crittenden for consideration.
Postdoctoral Fellow, ICoN Center
Two positions within the K. Lisa Yang Integrative Computational Neuroscience (ICon) Center to develop multiscale neural circuit models or data analysis techniques bridging molecular, circuit, behavioral neuroscience, cognition, and machine learning.
Qualifications
- REQUIRED: PhD in computational neuroscience, computer science, mathematics, physics, or other science/engineering field; experience with machine learning, statistics, computational neuroscience, and/or computer science; track record of working on collaborative projects; and an interest in collaborating with scientists working at multiple scales of behavior, circuit dynamics, and molecules
- PREFERRED: experience developing analysis tools/techniques for large-scale data sets or experience building neural, circuit, behavioral, or deep learning models
Research Opportunities
- Will join world-class neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, and engineers in solving some of today’s most exciting computational research problems and apply computational neuroscience, statistics, machine learning, AI, or data science skills to cutting-edge research questions and unique datasets related to brain function and dysfunction.
- Will develop and apply tools to automate the analysis of behavior in humans and animals; collaborate with a team of neuroscientists, clinicians, and engineers to create a set of behavioral assays in individuals and in children with ASD and other psychiatric disorders with the goals of earlier diagnosis, improving classification of disorder subtypes, and identifying key target behaviors for training and therapy; and work with ICoN researchers to integrate these behaviors into advanced, multilevel computational models of the brain that incorporate behavioral, neuronal, and molecular level data and identify key opportunities for behavioral characterization within innovative computational brain models.
- Will work across multiple labs at the McGovern Institute, the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Schwarzman College, including the Fiete, Yang, Feng, and Seethapathi labs; with clinicians at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and potentially others.
Duration
- 3 years, with the possibility of extension
Stipend and Benefits
- Competitive postdoctoral fellow stipend ($69,500)
- MIT health benefits and other perks including free, unrestricted access to the MBTA subway and local bus systems, work-life and wellness programs, and subsidized moving expenses
Interested?
To apply for this position please visit the MIT Careers website.
Benefits and Resources
For Postdoctoral Associates
From ice cream socials and monthly game nights, to annual beach retreats and boat cruises, there are many opportunities to create a healthy work-life balance at the McGovern Institute.
Postdoctoral associates at the McGovern Institute are eligible to receive MIT’s full suite of benefits and resources including best-in-class health plans and pension plan, fully subsidized T passes, tuition assistance, career development workshops and counseling, a wide range of parenting benefits, along with access to world-class athletic facilities, the MIT Museum—and much more.
- Medical/Dental/Vision: MIT offers a variety of medical, dental, and vision plans to cover a wide range of care
- Time Off: Several options—paid and unpaid—for taking time away from work to manage personal, medical, and family issues including 13 paid holidays, a winter break, and 4 weeks of vacation (3 in first year)
- Transportation: Free, unrestricted access to the MBTA subway and local bus systems, subsidies for MBTA parking and commuter rail, and reduced rates for Blue Bikes and Zip Cars
- Career and Professional Development: Comprehensive career development services including workshops and virtual individual consulting and tuition assistance up to $5,250 per calendar year
- Work-Life and Wellness: Webinars, support groups and consultations designed to enhance quality of life, stress management classes, retirement planning, childcare resources, mental health services, access to world-class athletic facilities, and discounted tickets to a wide spectrum of local cultural and sporting events.
For Postdoctoral Fellows
Because of their unique funding source and appointment type, postdoctoral fellows are not considered employees of MIT. Fellows are eligible, however, for a
different set of benefits as well as many of the discounts and perks available to MIT employees.
MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.
Questions?
Contact Human Resources at macdonme@mit.edu or 617-324-0639.
