MIT's Stephen A. Schwarzman School of Computing has announced the launch of a new program to support postdocs conducting research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and particular disciplines.
He Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will focus on ai to address the most challenging problems in selected scientific research areas, and on ai for music composition and performance. The program will welcome an inaugural group of up to six postdocs for a period of one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second term.
Supported by a $20 million donation from Parviz Tayebati, an entrepreneur and executive with extensive technical training and startup experience, the program will empower top postdocs by providing them with an environment that facilitates their academic and professional development and allows them to make ambitious discoveries. “I am proud to support a fellowship program that champions interdisciplinary research and fosters collaboration across departments. My hope is that this gift will inspire a new generation of scholars whose research advances knowledge and encourages innovation that transcends traditional boundaries,” says Tayebati.
“artificial intelligence has enormous potential to accelerate scientific advances and stimulate human creativity,” said Dan Huttenlocher, dean of the Schwarzman School of Computing and Henry Ellis Warren Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “This new postdoctoral program is an extraordinary opportunity to cultivate exceptional bilingual talent that combines ai and another discipline. The program will offer fellows the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research in both ai and other fields, collaborating with leading experts across disciplines. “We are deeply grateful to Parviz for their foresight in supporting the development of researchers in this increasingly important area.”
Candidates accepted into the program will work on projects spanning one of six disciplinary areas: biology/bioengineering, cognitive and brain sciences, chemistry/chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, music, and physics. Each scholarship recipient will have a teaching mentor in the disciplinary area and in ai.
The Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is a key component of a broader MIT Schwarzman School of Computing approach aimed at fostering innovative research in computer science. As part of this approach, the university has three postdoctoral programs, each of which provides training and mentorship to fellows, broadens their research horizons, and helps them develop expertise in computer science, including its intersection with other disciplines.
Other programs include Mentored opportunities in research (METEOR), which was established by the Computer Science and artificial intelligence Laboratory in 2020. Recently expanded to span from MIT to the university, METEOR's goal is to support exceptional scholars in computer science and artificial intelligence and expand participation in the field.
Additionally, the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), a cross-cutting initiative of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, offers researchers exploring how computing is reshaping society the opportunity to participate as SERC Postdoc. SERC postdocs participate in a number of activities throughout the year, including leading interdisciplinary teams of MIT undergraduate and graduate students, known as SERC Scholars, to work on research projects investigating topics such as generative ai and democracy, the fight against deepfakes, the examination of data ownership and the social impact of gamification, among others.
