OpenFieldMIT Presidential Fellowships & Departmental Fellowships
MIT's most prestigious competitive graduate award, recruited across all engineering and science departments to support the world's most promising first-year doctoral researchers.
Application checklist & requirements
These requirements reflect published university guidelines available at the last review. Review official department guidelines before submission.
- Academic degree / Prerequisites
- Graduation with highest academic distinction (typically top 2-5% of class, 3.85+ GPA).
- English language proficiency
- Academic IELTS 7.0+ or TOEFL iBT 100+.
- Standardized testing (GRE/GMAT)
- Optional or required depending on department.
- Thesis / Research statement
- Exceptional scientific creativity, prior publications, or innovative technological artifacts.
- Recommendation letters
- Three outstanding recommendation letters from research supervisors.
How much will it cost? How much funding is available?
- Financial support / stipend
- Fully funded: 100% full tuition coverage plus annual living stipend of USD $48,000/year and comprehensive MIT student health insurance
- Application fee
- Standard MIT graduate application fee ($75-$105)
- Tuition / joining costs
- Full tuition completely covered for duration of award.
Dates and verification
- Application deadline
- January 15, 2027 (Awarded automatically upon departmental graduate admission nomination)
- Last source review
- 2026-10-14
Important verification note
Facts reflect official Massachusetts Institute of Technology documentation reviewed 2026-10-14. Admissions, funding allocations, and eligibility thresholds are evaluated by the university.
Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Editorial standards · Report an issue