MIT Summer Research Program
The 2010 MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) application will be available online in early December. ONLY online applications will be accepted. In the meantime, the application questions are available for your reference in the linked document.
MSRP seeks to promote the value of graduate education; to improve the research enterprise through increased diversity; and to prepare and recruit the best and brightest for graduate education at MIT.
MSRP began in 1986 as an institutional effort to address the issue of underrepresentation of African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans in engineering and science in the United States. Today, this program seeks to identify talented sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors who might benefit from spending a summer on MIT's campus, working in a research laboratory under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers who are MIT faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and advanced graduate students. Students who participate in this program will be better prepared and motivated to pursue advanced degrees, thereby helping to sustain a rich talent pool in critical areas of research and innovation.
The program runs for nine weeks, from early June through mid-August. Participants receive:
- a weekly stipend
- round trip travel expenses
- university housing (students are responsible for their food expenses)
- access to campus facilities (library, athletic, and health facilities)
- a certificate of merit and attendance in the program
Program features
Each student receives supervision from an MIT faculty member, postdoctoral fellow, or advanced graduate student. Individual counseling on academic careers is also available. This is an opportunity for constructive feedback on selecting relevant undergraduate courses and acquiring appropriate skills. Each student is expected to produce an abstract, a research paper, and poster presentation by the end of the program. There is also the possibility for co-authoring a paper with one's supervisor.
Scheduled throughout the summer are seminars on various scientific and technological endeavors by MIT faculty and students. Students learn about the numerous research laboratories and centers on MIT's campus and experience "hands-on" training in some of them. Also scheduled are workshops on graduate admission, financial aid, the GRE, and applying to graduate school.
In addition, students have opportunities to participate in social and cultural activities within the Boston/Cambridge area.
Application and eligibility
MSRP applicants must:
- Be US citizens, permanent residents, or international students at a US Institution. African American, Mexican American, Native American, and Puerto Rican students are encouraged to apply
- Have completed the sophomore year by June and have a genuine interest in obtaining a PhD in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields
- NOT have graduated by June
- Have a grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher
Paper applications will NOT be accepted. All applications must include three letters of recommendation from current engineering or science faculty, an official academic transcript and a completed application form.
For students interested specifically in biology research, the MIT Summer Research Program in the Biological Sciences and Related Fields is offered through MIT’s Department of Biology.
For more information
Click here for frequently asked questions.
View the myMSRP website for information about exciting research conducted by the 2009 interns; to see podcasts of faculty and student presentations; and much more!
MIT representatives recruit for MSRP at national conferences. Please contact the program office at with any specific questions you may have about the overall program or your area of interest:
MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Office of the Dean for Graduate Education
Room 3-138
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
T (617) 253-4860
F (617) 253-5620
mit-srp@mit.edu
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