Funding Opportunities
DMSE graduate students are eligible to receive financial support for their studies from a variety of sources, including outside fellowship programs (government fellowships, private-company sponsorship, or competitive fellowship opportunities), special programs, or departmental arrangements.
Financial support from DMSE can take three forms: a research assistantship (RA), a teaching assistantship (TA), or a departmental fellowship. The department offers fellowships to incoming doctoral track graduate students in their first semester. After that, support may be from RAs, TAs, or fellowships.
Here are some specifics about funding opportunities at DMSE:
- Doctoral track students with outside fellowships that provide less support than our own full awards or appointments are eligible to receive supplemental funding. This supplemental funding will be in the form of a fellowship in the first term and may take the form of a partial TA or RA appointment or a supplemental fellowship award in subsequent terms.
- Master of Science only students are eligible to seek RA or TA support.
- RA and TA appointments are only available to full-time resident students registered for an advanced degree.
- Financial support situations vary; after admissions decisions are made, admitted students can contact the DMSE graduate academic office with specific questions.
For more information concerning financial assistance, refer to the MIT Bulletin or the Office of Graduate Education.
Overview
Research Assistants (RAs) are graduate students who support research projects in labs or groups under the supervision of faculty or other research staff. Their work may include:
- Gathering and analyzing data or evidence
- Developing theoretical models
- Contributing to publications and research reports
These positions are intended to provide both research contributions and professional training.
Eligibility
Only full-time graduate students pursuing advanced degrees are eligible for RA appointments.
Partial Appointments
Appointments for less than 100% effort are allowed. These can supplement:
- Fellowships
- Scholarships
- Teaching Assistantships
Students must coordinate multiple sources of support in line with Institute and department guidelines.
Overview
A limited number of Teaching Assistantships (TAs) are available each semester and are administered by the DMSE Teaching Assignments Committee. TAs support undergraduate and graduate teaching activities and receive professional training in communication and instruction.
Eligibility
Only full-time graduate students pursuing advanced degrees are eligible for TA appointments.
Application Timeline
The committee announces openings and accepts applications:
- Early May for the fall semester
- Late November for the spring semester
Partial Appointments
Appointments for less than 100% effort are allowed. These can supplement:
- Fellowships
- Scholarships
- Research Assistantships
Students must coordinate multiple sources of support in line with Institute and department guidelines.
Fellowships are provided by a number of sources, both within MIT and outside MIT. The Department has a limited number of graduate fellowships, most of which are offered to first-year graduate students and may have restrictions for citizenship, research interests, etc. There is no application process for these fellowships—they are an award conferred by the Department. Students are encouraged to apply for fellowships outside MIT, for which our students have an enviable record of success.
Departmental fellowship awards carry, in most cases, a stipend of $3,643.76 per month (effective June 1, 2023), plus a tuition award. Doctoral candidates who have completed their qualifying procedure will have their stipend increased to $3,988.88 per month. Where the amount of the supporting fellowship is inadequate to cover the per month stipend, the student may seek a supplemental research appointment from his/her advisor if funds are available.
US students are also eligible for a range of outside fellowships sponsored by various governmental (NSF, NDSEG, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy) and private organizations (Intel, Hertz, MathWorks). In some cases, the student applies directly to the fellowship agency. In other cases, the Department may nominate the student.
Some international students are supported by their home country governments and/or companies (for example, Anandamahidol Foundation, Canadian NSERC, SBS Foundation, RAFAEL Defense Systems).
Partial appointments (for effort less than 100%) are also possible, and are frequently used to supplement outside fellowships, scholarships, or teaching assistantships. Students who receive financial support from multiple sources must do so in accordance with Institute and department guidelines.
For more information regarding graduate student fellowships, please visit the Office of Graduate Education’s Fellowships page.
Normally, graduate student time is fully occupied with academics, thesis work, and assigned duties as a research assistant or a teaching assistant. Therefore, graduate students who are considering accepting other employment should review the policies and information provided by the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) and then discuss with the DMSE academic office, if necessary.
Participation of the graduate student in the advisor’s outside professional activities may be mutually advantageous. Advance approval is required; further details about such a situation and possible conflict of interest issues are available from the OGE.
International students with a full-time teaching assistantship or research assistantship usually cannot apply for other employment during a period of regular enrollment. They should consult with the International Students Office.
Students holding fellowships should review the award details to confirm whether they are permitted to accept employment offers.
See MIT OGE Graduate Appointments for details on:
- Graduate student union agreements
- Appointment expectations and workload
- Benefits and leaves
- Academic/employment guidance
- Vacation, sick leave, and employment leave policies
- Grievance procedures