MIT Summer Research Program 2027: Fully Funded Undergraduate Research Opportunity

Overview

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a nine-week summer research opportunity designed for undergraduate students. Launched in 1986, the programme encourages graduate education, increases research participation and helps prepare participants for academic careers. Students spend the summer on the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, working alongside faculty mentors, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

Who can apply

Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students enrolled at degree-granting institutions in the United States or its territories, excluding MIT. Eligible candidates are sophomores, juniors or non-graduating seniors who have completed at least two academic years of college coursework before the programme begins and will not graduate before December 2027. A minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is required, along with an interest in pursuing graduate study and a career in academic research or teaching. Eligible individuals include US citizens, permanent residents, non-US citizens with DACA status, and international students with appropriate visa and work authorization studying at a US-based institution.

What you get

Selected participants receive a weekly stipend, round-trip travel to MIT, university housing for the duration of the programme, and a meal subsidy. The experience also grants access to MIT libraries, athletic facilities and health services. Participants benefit from graduate school advising, laboratory skills feedback, weekly research talks, professional development seminars, and social activities. The opportunity is free of charge to participants.

Requirements

Applicants must submit an online application that includes essay responses addressing their academic journey, research interests, challenges and graduate school goals. The application package requires a current one-to-two-page CV and an unlocked unofficial transcript. Additionally, candidates must arrange for two letters of recommendation from faculty members, research mentors or supervisors, ensuring that at least one comes from a faculty member at an institution where the applicant has taken classes or conducted research.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through the official MIT MSRP application portal. Candidates should review departmental research areas and faculty interests in advance to select appropriate preferences. All application materials, including the required essays, CV, transcript and both letters of recommendation, must be submitted by the established deadline.

Key dates

Applications opened on 29 September 2026 and close on 19 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Admission decisions are anticipated by 31 March 2027. The research programme runs from 7 June to 7 August 2027.