Applying for Postdoctoral Positions at MIT

Postdoc positions are regularly posted on the MIT HR staffing website http://careers.mit.edu. Additional information may be found on websites of specific MIT departments, laboratories, centers, and faculty members. Relevant faculty members and research groups in a relevant field or area should be identified and contacted directly regarding the availability of Postdoc positions.

MIT’s research activities take place within the academic departments and laboratories, centers and institutes that reside within the five schools (School of Engineering, School of Science, Sloan School of Management, School of Architecture and Planning, and School of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences), in areas reporting to the Vice President for Research, and in units reporting to the Provost.

Postdoc Hiring and Recruitment at MIT

During the month of July 2020, the MIT Postdoctoral Association administered a survey to learn more about how postdocs across MIT found their position at the institute. This survey was conducted by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee with the initial goal of examining the impact hiring and recruiting has on the diversity of the postdoc population at MIT. This initial study was limited by the fact that the number of responses was too low in any individual department to deeply examine the relationship between postdoc hiring practices and diversity, given the significant differences between fields. However, this survey sheds light on one of the most opaque transitions in academia, and we publish the results here for everyone to learn how postdocs have obtained positions at MIT. We hope that these results inspire other institutions to examine how postdocs are hired and recruited, and consider ways to improve the inclusivity, equity, and transparency of the process.

Download the full report here.