MIT established a prestigious program of Presidential Fellowships in 1999 in order to recruit the most outstanding students worldwide to pursue graduate studies at the Institute.
Since then, the program has grown to support over 120 new graduate students annually as Presidential Fellows.
The Presidential Graduate Fellowship Award
Presidential Fellowships are nine-month fellowships that fund the tuition, monthly stipend (not to exceed the approved Science and Engineering Doctoral RA salary rate), and the student extended insurance plan of awardees for their first academic year at MIT.
Presidential Fellows are selected by the President and Provost from a pool of candidates nominated by the School deans, as well as the heads of departments and interdisciplinary programs. Students cannot apply directly for these fellowships.
Each Presidential Fellow receives a special certificate signed by the President of MIT emphasizing the prestigious nature of the award and identifying the benefactor responsible for the award presented at the Presidential Fellowship Reception each fall.
Department and academic administrators submit their nominations based on their Presidential Fellowship allocation for the upcoming year directly to the Director of Graduate Fellowships.
The program is administered by the MIT Office of Graduate Education in coordination with the Office of the Provost. For questions regarding this program, please contact the OGE Fellowships Team at grad-fellowships@mit.edu.
A group of Presidential Fellows take a selfie photo together next to the a 25th Anniversary cake.
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Two Presidential Fellowship recipients talk at the reception, smiling.
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Chancellor Melissa Nobles speaks at a podium, students seen listening in the background.
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A group of Presidential Fellows stand together, smiling, with the Boston skyline in the background.
The Boston skyline, visible from the background during the Presidential Fellowships Reception.
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Two graduate student women make a heart with their arms while holding their Presidential Fellowship certificates.
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A Presidential Fellowship recipient leans over to shake hands with another graduate student at the reception, smiling.
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Sr. Associate Dean Denzil Street speaks from a podium.
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A Presidential Fellowship recipient poses for an iPhone photo, taken by someone in the foreground, as she holds her certificate.
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A Presidential Fellow smiles wide, pointing at the moon above the Boston skyline.
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Two Presidential Fellowship Recipients talk, smiling, while holding plates of food. The Boston skyline is visible through the window behind them.
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Three Presidential Fellowship recipients pose for a photo at the reception, holding glasses and smiling.
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A group of three Presidential Fellows gesture broadly as they talk together, laughing.
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Sr. Associate Dean of OGE Denzil Streete laughs with two Presidential Fellows at the reception.
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Five graduate students pose together, holding up their certificates, in front of the windows.
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Presidential Fellows smile warmly as they hold their certificates.
Presidential Fellows smile warmly as they hold their certificates.
2024 Fellows Reception photography by Joseph Lee; 2023 Fellows Reception photography by Justin Knight.
