The Research Scholars Program in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, is a prestigious two-year, non-degree, fully funded post-baccalaureate program for outstanding recent college graduates who plan to pursue a research career in cognitive, systems or cellular neuroscience, cognitive science, computational cognitive science, computational neuroscience, or neuroengineering. This program is specifically designed to provide additional research and academic training to individuals from historically underrepresented minority groups and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and veterans preparing to apply to PhD programs.

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Participants will conduct supervised research in a lab of their choice, including several labs within MIT’s Yang-Tan research center community, and have the opportunity to take courses at MIT, and immerse themselves in the MIT culture and its academic rigors, while gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to become competitive PhD applicants and successful graduate students. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the representation of groups historically underrepresented in academic and industry leadership positions in the fields of brain and cognitive science and neuroengineering.

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Scholars have access to the same activities as graduate students. In addition to conducting supervised research, they take courses for credit, attend seminars, meet with their assigned advisor on a regular basis and are able to experience first-hand the life of a graduate student and the culture of MIT. Participants receive a highly competitive stipend, health benefits and tuition remission. The stipend is matched to that of PhD students in the department.

All applicants must:

• Have US citizenship or US permanent residency (no exceptions)
• Be from under-represented minority groups and come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
• Have graduated from a four-year accredited US institution by the start of the program. - Preference will be given to students who have graduated from college within the last 12 months.
• Have strong academic records (minimum GPA of 3.3)
• Have majored or minored in a STEM field with some prior research experience and a demonstrated interest in pursuing a PhD degree
• Priority will be given to applicants who had limited research opportunities in college. Physics, math, psychology, engineering and computer science majors who are interested in the brain and/or cognitive sciences are welcome to apply.