MIT PAPPALARDO FELLOWSHIPS IN PHYSICS:
2008–11 Fellowships Competition

1. Pappalardo Fellowships Program Overview
   
   
2. Call for Nominations: Nominations are now being accepted for the 2008-11 Pappalardo Fellowships competition.
   
   2008-11 Fellowships Nomination Form
   
   [Valid only when submitted by Faculty and Senior Researchers in physics, astronomy and related fields. Confirmation is required. ]
   
   
3. Competition Schedule
   
   
4. Applicant Information
   
   
5. Further Questions

Pappalardo Fellowships Program Overview

The mission of the MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics is to sustain a distinguished postdoctoral program that identifies, recruits, and supports the most talented and promising young physicists at an early stage in their careers. This initiative is made possible by the support of Mr. A. Neil Pappalardo (EE '64), an MIT alumnus with a long history of generosity to both the Institute and the Department of Physics.

The program appoints three new Fellows per academic year for a three-year fellowship term each, by means of an annual competition. All Pappalardo Fellows are provided with:

• independent, unrestricted choice of research focus and direction within the MIT Department of Physics throughout their three-year fellowship appointment;
  
• active faculty mentoring fostered by weekly luncheons and monthly dinners with the Department's faculty throughout the academic year;
  
• a competitive annual stipend [$59,000 for first-year Fellows in the 2008-11 academic year] with an annual cost-of-living increase, combined with $5,000 per academic year in discretionary research funds; and
  
• MIT Medical health insurance coverage for Fellows and their dependents.

Please note that current MIT graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, or those who have already received an offer for a postdoctoral position from an MIT faculty member, will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

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Call for Nominations: 2008-11 Fellowships Competition

The Executive Committee of the MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics invites faculty and senior researchers within the international community of physics, astronomy or related fields to submit nominations for the 2008-11 MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics competition.

Nominees must be young men or women of exceptional ability who currently have or will have received a doctoral degree in physics, astronomy or related fields by September 1, 2008. Nominations are submitted on-line, and although a letter of reference is not required in order to nominate a candidate, the candidate herself may request one from the nominator at a later date, in order to fulfill the applicant materials requirement of three letters of reference per candidate.

An application packet containing a 2008-11 Application Form will be mailed to qualified candidates on a rolling basis up until the nomination deadline of Friday, September 7, 2007.

Thank you for your participation in the 2008–11 MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics competition.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

(1) In order to participate in the MIT Pappalardo Fellowships competition, an applicant can only be nominated by a faculty member or senior researcher within the international community of physics, astronomy or related fields. Any materials received from a self-nominated applicant will not be accepted by the Fellowships office.

(2) Current MIT graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, or those who have already received an offer for a postdoctoral position from an MIT faculty member, will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

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Competition Schedule: 2008–11 Fellowships

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Applicant Information

Upon receipt of a valid Pappalardo Fellowships nomination from a faculty member or senior researcher within the international community of physics, astronomy or related fields, the Fellowships Office will mail the nominee the 2008-11 Fellowship application packet containing the official 2008-11 Application Form and instructions.

Candidates for the Pappalardo Fellowships competition are responsible for ensuring that all of the required items listed below are received by the program office by the application materials deadline. All application materials must be sent by either first-class or overnight mail directly to the Fellowships program office. Faxed application materials are not legible enough for reproduction, and thus cannot be accepted.

MAILING ADDRESS INFORMATION for the
MIT PHYSICS DEPARTMENT / PAPPALARDO FELLOWSHIPS OFFICE

Applicants will be required to provide all of the following items by the application materials deadline in order to qualify for review by the Pappalardo Fellowships Faculty Committee:

1. Completed official 2008-11 application form
   
2. Curriculum vitae
   
3. List of publications
   
4. Essay detailing proposed research during a Pappalardo Fellowship (Two-page maximum length, using single-sided, double-spaced, 8 1/2" x 11" size pages. Any additional pages received will disqualify the essay for inclusion in the candidate's folder. )
   
5. Three letters of recommendation (Letters must be sent separately by referees, and the number is firmly limited to three. Any additional letters received will not be included in the candidate's folder for review.)
   
6. One publication preprint or reprint (Optional, and strictly limited to one paper. Unfortunately, any additional papers received will be discarded.)

For the 2008-11 competition, the finalist interviews will take place on THURSDAY and FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 and 14, 2007. Please note that these will be the ONLY dates available for this years finalist interviews.

The 2008-11 Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics appointments run from September 1, 2008, through August 31, 2011.

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Questions

Should you require further information, please email:

Ms. Carol Breen
Communications & Pappalardo Fellowship Program Administrator
MIT Department of Physics
Building 4-305
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307

Email: breen@mit.edu

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