MIT
IGERT Frequently Asked Questions
How
do I apply to the IGERT doctoral program?
The IGERT is actually a traineeship, not a degree-granting program.
Doctoral students in the Department of Political Science, the
Engineering Systems Division, and the Program in Science, Technology
and Society are eligible to receive IGERT traineeships. Students
who are applying to these degree programs and have not yet been
admitted can contact the IGERT program staff and indicate their
interest in being considered for the IGERT Traineeship.
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Who
is eligible for IGERT Traineeships?
Due to NSF funding restrictions for this program, you must be
a US citizen or permanent resident to become an IGERT Trainee.
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Can
I participate in PoET if I'm not eligible for an IGERT Traineeship?
YES, we currently have PoET students who participate
in the program full-time but have other sources of funding,
such as outside scholarships. We also have students who are
not funded and choose to participate on a more limited level,
depending on their interest. These students attending conferences
and meetings, and participating in PoET working groups.
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Can
I receive an IGERT Traineeship if I am admitted to a different
department?
Unfortunately, at this time students in other MIT doctoral programs
are not eligible to receive an IGERT Traineeship. They are welcome,
however, to participate in IGERT-sponsored workshops and other
activities, and should contact the IGERT program staff or faculty
to express their interest.
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As an
IGERT Trainee, what obligations do I have to the IGERT program?
IGERT Trainees participate in IGERT workshops, seminars, and
collaborative research in addition to their own thesis research.
In most cases, IGERT research will not exactly align with the
students’ thesis research, but will enhance their research
skills, expand their academic perspective and knowledge base,
and provide valuable learning experiences and contacts with
faculty and students from other disciplines.
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What
do you mean by “collaborative research?"
The IGERT group, which includes faculty, researchers, post-doctoral
associates, and students, undertakes most of its research activities
in a collaborative manner. For instance, groups are currently
working on papers that will include retrospective cases of once-emerging
technologies as well as issue-oriented papers such as computing
and personalization. These groups include students from different
disciplines, and are coordinated by faculty or research staff.
Students independently pursue their own contributions to the
research, but meet regularly as a group to discuss how the different
disciplines structure the research problem and how to combine
their collective perspectives and methodologies to produce a
more comprehensive and insightful academic work. Our IGERT Trainees
generally find this approach to research to be a rewarding addition
to the more solitary thesis research typically pursued by doctoral
students.
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Are
there other requirements in addition to the IGERT research?
Yes, IGERT Trainees are required to take three specific courses,
including an integrating doctoral seminar, an STS course, and
a political science/ESD course. Depending on the student’s
doctoral program, one or two of these courses may also satisfy
departmental requirements.
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Do
the IGERT requirements present any conflict with departmental
requirements?
No. IGERT Trainees do have some additional course requirements
and assigned research compared to other students in their home
departments, they do not conflict with home department requirements.
IGERT Principal Investigators represent all three of the collaborating
programs. They worked carefully together to structure the IGERT
Traineeship, including its course requirements and research
expectations, to complement and enhance the students’
home department requirements. IGERT faculty also regularly meet
with IGERT students’ home department advisors to help
coordinate the oversight of their progress towards graduation.
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How much does
an IGERT Traineeship pay?
IGERT Traineeships are set by the National Science Foundation.
Through a combination of NSF funds and MIT contributions, students
receive full tuition as well as a generous stipend. The stipend,
$30,000/year in 2005-2006, is higher than the standard MIT PhD
stipend paid by departments or research grants.
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How
many years of doctoral study are covered by the IGERT Traineeship?
The IGERT program expects to cover most of its Trainees for
2 years, after which the student should be able to find research
sponsorship through his or her departmental advisor. The IGERT
funding most typically covers the first and second, or second
and third year of doctoral study, depending in part on the student’s
home department.
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How many
IGERT students are there currently?
The 2005-2006 academic year is the second year that we have
funded IGERT Trainees. We have 11 students this year, including
6 from the Engineering Systems Division, 3 from the Department
of Political Science, and 2 from the Program in Science, Technology
and Society.
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