Resources

Following input from Department Heads, junior faculty, and other faculty, the Annual Review for Faculty document attemps to clarify and standardize elements of the annual report for all faculty, and annual meeting with junior faculty, in the MIT School of Science. Annual reports for all faculty must be submitted to departments, and shared with the Dean’s office. Departments should ensure that the annual reports note outstanding efforts towards diversity, inclusion and justice. Departments should clarify expectations for all faculty, as leaders and mentors. Departments heads should make a renewed effort to transparently communicate the content and purpose of annual junior faculty review meeting.

We believe that making a better MIT for every member of the community—students, staff, and faculty—is a prerequisite to making a better world. Success in our endeavors requires a safe and supportive environment that helps us face difficulties with persistence and resilience. We are committed to providing resources for the physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being of our community members, and believe that we have a shared responsibility to treat one another with respect and integrity. Community Resources What is MIT’s policy on discrimination and harassment? Whom do I contact in my department if I experience or observe harassment or abuse? Where can I find student resources for conflict resolution? Where can I find support for mental and physical health? For students For staff, postdocs and faculty MIT Benefits Community Wellness MyLife Services Where can I find MIT resources for Academic Affairs & Community Engagement?  

School of Science faculty members below the level of full professor are eligible to receive up to $10,000 for child care expenses per fiscal year per pre-kindergarten-aged child. The fiscal year runs from July 1–June 30, and payment requests must be submitted during the fiscal year in which the expenses were incurred. These funds are provided jointly by the Department and the School. Please note that this benefit supplements and does not replace the standing Dependent Care Policies. Eligibility Rules: Faculty members below the level of Full Professor are eligible for this benefit. Faculty with January start dates are eligible for half of the annual allocation during their first semester of service. Faculty who are co-parents may both claim the supplement for the same child(ren). Children are no longer eligible for this benefit in the fiscal year in which they are five years old as of August 31st. For children less than 1 year old, eligibility will be prorated to the nearest quarter during the fiscal year in which they were born: -Children born July–September are eligible for the full reimbursement ($10,000) -Children born October–December are eligible for 75% ($7,500) -Children born January–March are eligible for 50% ($5,000) -Children born April–June are eligible for 25% ($2,500) Requests for reimbursement should be submitted to the human resources administrator for your academic department. Please include the name(s) and date(s) of birth (month and year) for the child(ren) who are being covered under the program. Department administrators can find process instructions on Canvas. For questions, please contact the Dean’s Office Faculty Affairs team. Please see the School’s website for additional information on faculty family benefits: https://science.mit.edu/resource/faculty-family-benefits-support/

The MIT School of Science and the Institute offer a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT faculty members and their families. MIT Work-Life Center: Faculty Resources The MIT Work-Life Center offers a range of direct services and resources to promote the health and well-being of MIT community members and their families, including guidance on adult and senior care, child care services and schools.  The Work-Life Center provides access to MyLife Services, free round-the-clock access to a network of experts who are available to help with life concerns. Medical and Family Leaves MIT provides several paid medical and family leave benefits for faculty. The policies describing these leaves can be found at Policies & Procedures Section 7.5. MIT Human Resources maintains a detailed overview of medical and family leave options for faculty here. Family Care Technology Childcare Centers and Faculty Priority MIT hosts five Technology Childcare Centers, four on the main campus and one at the Lincoln Laboratory, managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions. Although spaces are in high demand, all tenured and tenure-track faculty members receive enrollment priority for infants ages eight weeks through 14 months. Dependent Care for Faculty Travel Institute policy provides for reimbursement associated with travel on MIT business above those normally incurred by the faculty member while at MIT. Faculty are eligible to be reimbursed up to $5,000 in direct expenses, plus an additional 25% allocation to cover the tax due on the expenses, per year in reasonable childcare or dependent care expenses. For junior (untenured) faculty, this reimbursement will be provided by the Dean’s Office. For tenured faculty, the reimbursement will be drawn from a discretionary account. Expenses over $5,000 The Dean of Science may approve a reimbursement for expenses paid by a faculty member or a department that are larger than $5,000 and/or additional reimbursements beyond the $5,000 outlined in the policy. Such reimbursements will be considered additional compensation (taxable) and paid as a salary supplement; however, the supplement will not be subject to employee benefits and no incremental benefits will be paid (that is, it is not counted in the pension calculation). It cannot be charged to federal research projects unless the PI has explicit permission from the donor/sponsor, to any external funds. The reimbursement/supplement is not subject to research F&A nor fund overhead. Spousal Travel In general, the Institute does not reimburse travel expenses for spouses of faculty members. Occasional exceptions are made when the health or well-being of the faculty member, spouse, or child depends on traveling together and there is no reasonable alternative. In such instances, reimbursements must be approved by the Dean’s Office before travel arrangements are made. How to request Reimbursements DLCs should field initial requests from faculty to ensure program eligibility before submitting to the Dean’s Office. The request should include details about how the trip is related to MIT business as well as a strong justification for why the dependent(s) need to accompany the faculty on the trip. Department administrators can review procedural steps on Canvas. Questions about any of these policies or procedures should be directed to the Dean’s Office Faculty Affairs team. Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account Eligible MIT employees can set aside up to $5,000 pre-tax salary in a flex account to spend on day care, preschool, day camps, and after school care. Backup Adult and Senior Care Eligible MIT employees can sign up for Care.com BackupCare to arrange for day or night in-home care for children or another family member who needs assistance. Employees are responsible for the hourly cost of screened and trained caretakers. Child Care Benefit Faculty may request reimbursement of child care expenses for pre-kindergarten-aged children for up to $10,000 per child per year. On-Campus Lactation Rooms & SoS Breast Pump Loan Program MIT has several dedicated lactation rooms around campus intended for the use of the MIT community, and the School of Science and its departments sponsor several more for their own communities. All rooms have at minimum locking doors, good lighting and ventilation, electrical outlets, a comfortable chair, waste baskets and cleaners, and a nearby refrigerator and sink. The School of Science Dean’s Office offers hospital-grade Medela Symphony breast pumps for loan for nursing faculty members. Please send any inquiries to sos-dean-facaffairs@mit.edu. Tuition Support for Children Dependent children of eligible MIT employees who are admitted to and enroll at MIT will have their full tuition covered. MIT also offers low-interest loans to eligible MIT employees to help with the cost of an undergraduate or graduate college education for dependent children.  

Current programs Building Personal Resilience and Handling Stress Workshop with HFP Consulting June 9-10, 2025 Registration Deadline: June 17, 2025 This 2-day workshop is designed to help junior faculty foster personal competencies for dealing with the stress that often comes with pre-tenure positions, such as heavy workloads, pressure to publish and obtain funding, busy travel schedules, and work-life imbalances. Participants will reflect on their goals, their attitudes and other personal stress-increasing factors, including ruminative patterns of thinking and personal motivations. New healthy and self-supporting views and behaviors will be introduced and practiced. Leadership Skills for Engineering and Science Faculty with MIT Professional Education July 8-9, 2025 Registration Deadline: June 17, 2025 Lead by Charles E. Leiserson, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at MIT, the Leadership Skills for Engineering and Science Faculty course focuses on human-centered strategies for leading effective teams in technical academic environments. This 2-day workshop promotes awareness of the participants’ own leadership styles and offers new approaches to explore based on scientifically informed frameworks and models of human behavior. Through a series of interactive role-playing activities, self-assessment instruments, and group discussions, participants will develop a repertoire of techniques for addressing issues that commonly arise within technical research groups and among teaching staff. National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) Membership The NCFDD offers workshops, courses, seminars, and training for faculty members. The School of Science will support individual memberships to the NCFDD for one year as part of a pilot program. Please direct inquiries to Kuheli Dutt, Assistant Dean of DEI. Other opportunities: Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program (KTCP) with the MIT Teaching + Learning Lab The Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program (KTCP) is an interactive workshop series focused on evidence-based teaching techniques grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Topics include designing a course, preparing a lesson plan, assessing and providing feedback to students, creating an effective and welcoming classroom climate, along with others. Participants will actively practice these teaching skills through microteaching workshops, in which they will receive individual feedback from peers and teaching experts. Faculty Leadership – Professional Skills Development Program Faculty are nominated to participate in this year-long cohort-based program designed to develop and/or enhance their leadership capabilities. Workshop topics include: communicating with persuasion and influence, closing the gap between strategy and execution, tough conversations and conflict de-escalation, and the four capabilities of leadership and leadership signature. By the end of the program, participants will be better equipped to manage change and build successful teams. Leadership and Management Skills for Tenure-Track Faculty with HFP Consulting A practical and interactive course focused on developing essential leadership and management skills necessary in facing today’s challenges in scientific work. Topics include communication, learning how to empower others, improving organizational skills, leading better group processes, and networking, among others. Advanced Leadership and Management Skills with HFP Consulting Building on the Leadership and Management Skills Course for Tenure-Track Faculty, this advanced course revisits commonly faced issues in lab management while also including a focus on mentoring. Female Leaders in Science (FLIS): Leadership Training for Female Faculty with HFP Consulting This workshop invites female faculty to develop leadership and management skills while forming connections with other female faculty in the school. The focus will be on dealing with challenges through establishing authority, improving networking and building strong team skills to support motivation and resolve conflict. * * * If you are interested in any of these training programs, please contact the Dean’s Office Faculty Affairs team.

MIT School of Science and the MIT Work-Life Center offer a range of direct services and resources to support MIT faculty and their families, including paid and unpaid family leaves. Information for sabbaticals and junior faculty research leaves is listed below. Sabbaticals The purpose of sabbatical leaves is to make it possible for members of the tenured faculty to take time off from normal academic duties for scholarly research and study. The Institute’s plan is based on the normal expectation of a one-half-year leave at full salary, or a full-year leave at half salary, following six years of full-time service as a member of the faculty. Implementation of this policy in a specific case may be limited by the responsibility of the departments to meet their obligations and the financial resources made available. Years in which faculty members are on leave are not counted in the six years. Years of service beyond the six-year requirement cannot be counted toward qualification for subsequent sabbaticals. Faculty members must apply to their department heads a reasonable time in advance (normally one year) and describe their proposals for the use of the sabbatical. In considering whether the request for sabbatical leave can be recommended to the dean, department heads must take into account the commitments for teaching and research in their departments. The final allocation of sabbaticals is made by the Provost. Junior Faculty Research Leaves The purpose of the Junior Faculty Research Leave Program is to assist young scholars in their pre-tenure years by providing a concentrated period of time during which they can engage in research to advance their careers. The research leave is a one-semester leave with pay taken during years two to six of the faculty member’s probationary period. All tenure track faculty are eligible for the leave. Normally this leave may not be taken during the faculty member’s first year of appointment or the last year at MIT. Faculty members who have been given a terminal appointment may not be granted research leave. Faculty members should apply to their department head for the research leave. Faculty are expected to consult with their mentors and the department head about the timing of leaves to ensure the best use of the opportunity and to be consistent with the faculty member’s teaching and other obligations. The faculty leave request form is available at the SoS Administrators’ Canvas site, to be completed by the department, approved by the Department Head, and submitted to the Dean’s Office Faculty Affairs team.

The School of Science has several fellowships to support graduate students. Dean of Science Fellowship Through a partnership with the School of Science, the Office of Graduate Education and the science departments at MIT, the Dean of Science is pleased to offer a fellowship to 10 students each year. The fellowship provides support for a student’s first three years at MIT. Departments may nominate individuals of merit befitting of becoming a fellow. Learn more about the fellowship here. Mathworks Fellowship These graduate fellowships provide support to graduate students within the School of Science with a preference for students who are active users of MATLAB and/or Simulink. Learn more about this fellowship here.

Effective September 1, 2021, incoming tenure-track faculty members hired during the past 12 months are eligible to receive up to $25K of their approved NIFAL in the form of a housing income supplement to cover rent during their first year at MIT.  More specifically, eligible faculty members can receive a monthly payment of up to $2,083.33 (1/12th of $25K).  As taxable income, state and federal taxes are withheld. In addition, faculty members who are moving to the greater Boston area, are eligible to receive up to $6,250 during their first month to cover the rent payments associated with their first month, last month, and security deposit.  Faculty members can take the remaining funds over the subsequent months at a monthly rate not to exceed $2,083.33 for the remaining 10 months for a total benefit of $25,000.  As taxable income, state and federal taxes are withheld. Faculty members may choose to take less than the maximum, but cannot extend the payment beyond their first year at MIT or the closing date of their new property.  Faculty members are asked to submit their executed lease or confirm in writing the address of their rental unit and their monthly rent.  Finally, faculty members who are already renting an apartment in the Boston area are eligible to receive this benefit, but are not eligible to receive the $6,250 in support in the first month of their appointment. A note for administrators: At the time of processing, the submitter must submit a revised NIFAL form reducing the balance in the NIFAL by the amount of the housing income supplement.  This form must be signed by the department head, dean, and provost for submission to the Housing Office, attn.: Christine Holland, hollandc@mit.edu.  In addition, the submitter should submit their executed lease or written confirmation from the faculty member stating the location and monthly rent for the department. Please note that if a faculty member decides to execute their NIFAL during the first year of the program, while receiving a housing income supplement, the supplement ends on the last day of the month that they close on their property.  Christine Holland will notify the department that they need to submit a revised NIFAL with the remaining balance of the NIFAL listed in the field “Amount Approved” to the School for approval and submission to the Provost’s Office with a cc: to Christine Holland. Your local human resources professional can assist you with processing your payments and answering your questions. You can also contact Annie Lee, with questions.

Go back to all graduate fellowships. These graduate fellowships provide support to graduate students within the School of Science with a preference for students who are active users of MATLAB and/or Simulink. (Please note that there are several Mathworks fellowship programs throughout the Institute. If you are a student outside of the School of Science, you may be looking for a different program.) How to submit: When open for submissions in the Spring, the Dean will send a request for nominations to the Academic Departments. Questions regarding the School of Science’s MathWorks call can be directed to sos-dean-finance@mit.edu. The following materials will be requested with each nomination by their Academic Departments: A brief statement (maximum of two pages) from the nominee on how MathWorks software has advanced their research. The nominee’s contributions to the broader MathWorks community should also be noted (e.g., new models). The nominee’s CV. A letter of recommendation from the nominee’s research advisor. FAQ: 20 SoS fellowships will be provided in the amount of $107K/fellowship. We request a maximum of five nominations per academic unit in the School of Science. We will award fellowships to the top nominees from all of the academic departments in the School of Science. Current awarded MathWorks fellows can apply again. Departments should submit a new nomination for current MathWorks fellows if the student is among the current Academic Year’s top departmental nominees. As a reminder, the MIT School of Science is strongly committed to diversity. About MathWorks MathWorks is a developer of mathematical computing software for engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and researchers. MATLAB, the language of technical computing, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation. Simulink is a graphical environment for simulation and Model-Based Design of multidomain dynamic and embedded systems. The company produces nearly 100 additional products for specialized tasks such as data analysis and image processing. Founded in 1984, MathWorks employs more than 4500 people in 16 countries, with its headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts.

This document provides Principal Investigators (PIs) with guidance on crafting an effective Broader Impacts (BI) statement in their grant proposals, as required by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

At the MIT School of Science, we celebrate the achievements of faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Awards and Honors Our talented community has been honored with many awards. MIT School of Science Awards Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Prizes The School of Science annually awards teaching prizes for faculty excellence in teaching. Nominations for awards are submitted in the late spring. Dean’s Fellowship The Dean of the School of Science offers a fellowship to students nominated by their departments to support their graduate studies. Staff Excellence Awards The Staff Excellence Awards program recognizes the significant contributions School of Science staff members make to the MIT community, particularly for accomplishments that go beyond their typical roles and duties. Spot Awards Infinite Mile Award Infinite Expansion Award

This document contains information that is important for all MIT SoS faculty. It describes the processes that we use for faculty promotions and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the candidate and faculty members who are involved in the evaluation process. If you have questions that are not answered below, please talk to the department head. Promotion Types For faculty hired as Assistant Professors at MIT, there are three promotion steps. Each promotion is based on research/scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and service contributions, but differs somewhat in focus and goal: Associate Professor without Tenure (AWOT) – the goal is to determine the progress that the candidate is making as an independent investigator and provide them with a summary of things they are doing well, areas that could benefit from improvement, and their prospects for promotion to tenure. Associate Professor with Tenure (AWIT) – At MIT the standard for tenure is research accomplishments that establish them as a leader in the field, both nationally and internationally, along with excellence in teaching, mentorship, and service. Full Professor (FP) considers research/scholarship, teaching, and mentorship, and emphasizes the candidate’s service contributions at MIT. Each of these promotions is governed by MIT policies and procedures and you are encouraged to read the relevant section 3. We have prepared this document to provide helpful information, but MIT Policies and Procedures provide the final, definitive policies and guidelines. Back to top Promotion Timing The promotion schedule/tenure clock is tied to MIT’s academic calendar. The academic year starts July 1st.  For a faculty member with an appointment start date in year X (anytime between January and December), their “tenure clock” normally starts July 1 of year X. MIT policies and procedures include two key rules that govern the timing of promotion: Section 3.1: Assistant and associate professors without tenure may be appointed for a term of not more than five years. They may receive a series of appointments, each of a definite term, that, when taken together, are no more than the eight years that normally constitute the pre-tenure period plus any tenure clock extensions. Tenure track faculty may be reappointed to a current rank or promoted to a higher rank. If neither of these actions occur, their Institute appointment terminates at the end of the current appointment. The review of an assistant professor in connection with the expiration of the faculty member’s second appointment considers whether promotion to the rank of associate professor without tenure is merited. This review should occur when the department concludes that a significant basis for promotion exists, but not later than one year prior to the faculty member’s mandatory tenure date. Section 3.2: “Assistant professors and non-tenured associate professors with a total of eight years of service and no tenure clock extensions must receive tenure in order to continue in a faculty position.” Normally AWOT and AWIT appointments in SoS, and MIT more broadly, occur on a regular schedule in which AWOT promotions are considered during academic year 5 (after someone has completed the 4th year of their MIT tenure clock) and AWIT cases in year 7 (after someone has completed 6 years). If a candidate is on this schedule and is not promoted to a tenured appointment, they will receive this news before the end of year 7 and be eligible for one additional year of employment as a faculty member at MIT (year 8), allowing time to plan a transition. Special circumstances can lead to variations in the timing of promotions. Situations that can lead to extensions include childbearing/adoption and approved leaves of absence, as described in Policies and Procedures section 3.2.1, as well as institute-wide disruptions. On occasion, promotion to AWOT and/or AWIT can occur ahead of the schedule indicated above. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis. An early promotion may be appropriate for faculty members who make unusually rapid progress in establishing their careers. An early AWOT promotion does not shorten the tenure clock; the candidate is still eligible for 8 years of service at MIT without a tenured appointment and may go up for their AWIT promotion at any time prior to that (or later if extensions are granted). While there is no set deadline for the final promotion to FP, the School of Science normally initiates the FP promotion 4 years after promotion to AWIT. Given the possibility of variations, faculty should discuss the timing of their promotions with the DH well ahead of the anticipated schedule. For all AWOT, AWIT, and FP cases considered on the regular schedule, candidates will be informed before the start of the term in which they are being put forward for promotion, to allow time to prepare the necessary materials (as described below). Back to top Promotion Processes The process for considering a promotion is very thorough; it goes through many stages as summarized below, and takes a full academic year to complete. Briefly, the process is initiated by the department, which puts together the promotion case. The case is then evaluated by the department and subsequently by the School of Science (SoS) and then Academic Council. For AWIT cases, additional approval is required from the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation. At any of these stages, a decision can be made to not move a case ahead. If this happens, the candidate will be informed of the decision and the DH will meet with them to discuss possible next steps. If a case is progressing positively, there will be no official communication until after approval by Academic Council for AWOT and FP (typically around February), or by the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation for AWIT (typically around May). A formal letter will follow a month or so after that, and the new rank will become official on July 1st. The rest of this document provides information on the steps of the process that are undertaken by the department when developing and reviewing promotion cases. Most of the procedures are the same for all three promotions, which all require information about research/scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and service. CANDIDATE MATERIALS The candidate provides materials that summarize their contributions in research/scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and service. Most of these materials are prescribed by the SoS including: An up-to-date CV in the MIT-required format. The CV should include standard education and training, honors and awards, a publication list, and a list of invited talks, as well as: Teaching and educational achievements Mentorship: Undergraduate and graduate students supervised and postdoctoral associates and fellows supervised with information about where these trainees are now employed. When applicable: Research contracts and grants; patents; other published research outputs such as openly shared datasets, reusable code, etc. Service, both internal and external A 2-4 page statement of current and future research interests. The statement should be accessible to faculty peers in the department and discipline. It should communicate: The broad problem domain and the importance of the area of research. The candidate’s most important contributions and the impact and significance of these contributions. A 1-2 page statement of teaching, mentoring, and service contributions. This should elaborate on material in the CV and describe practices, contributions, innovations, or accomplishments, highlighting things of which the candidate is particularly proud. Up to five reprints or preprints. A 1-page “Scientific American” style summary of research for a general, non-technical audience. A list of potential letter writers (numbers for specific promotions described below) and any letter writers you request not be included. To simplify preparation for promotion, candidates are recommended to maintain an up-to-date comprehensive CV in the MIT-required format starting from their first year on the faculty. The department will provide incoming assistant professors with a sample CV template. It is advisable to draft materials well before the deadline to allow for iterative review and revision. REFERENCE LETTERS Reference letters from senior scientists in the candidate’s research area are a critical part of the promotion case. Information about the reviewers, including a brief synopsis of their qualifications and expertise, is included in the case documents. The identity of the letter writers is not disclosed to the candidate. External referees are important to the evaluation process; their letters are weighed heavily in the assessment of scholarship. The number of required outside letters varies, depending on the promotion, and is noted below. Letter writers must be tenured faculty members (or equivalent) and should be internationally recognized members of the candidate’s research field(s). Diversity is also important, with respect to the referees’ nationality, host institution, and gender. Former mentors (graduate and postdoctoral) are typically included. Collaborators and co-authors are appropriate referees. Scientists beyond the candidate’s immediate circle of mentors/collaborators must also be included in the final list of letter writers. The candidate will be asked to suggest referees. In the final list, only a subset of the referees are candidate-selected; the case document will indicate whether each referee was suggested by the candidate and/or department. The department will approach some, but not necessarily all, of these people. Candidates should propose up to 4-6 individuals who can write knowledgeably about their scientific contributions. Ideally, these will be people who have read and/or heard a presentation of the scholarship and had discussions with the candidate. Mentors can help candidates refine their referee list. We recommend that these conversations begin well in advance of the promotion process because mentors can help candidates strategize how to develop relationships that can lead to strong reference letters, e.g., by attending conferences, giving departmental seminars, or hosting speakers. Candidates can also provide names of people who they believe would not provide a fair letter of evaluation, e.g., due to a conflict of interest or a personal disagreement. Outside of the promotion process, mentors or other colleagues may have good advice on how to handle potential conflicts, if candidates would like input on these issues. Internal referees are tenured MIT faculty members who are knowledgeable about the research, teaching, and/or mentorship relevant to the candidate’s progress. If a candidate believes that an MIT tenured faculty member has a conflict of interest in their case, they should notify the DH. EVALUATION OF MENTORSHIP Evaluation of mentorship has always been part of the MIT promotion process. Starting in the 2023-2024 academic year, the School of Science rolled out new procedures for mentoring evaluations to provide more uniformity and substance including soliciting input from trainees. Beginning Fall 2023: Assistant professors who have not yet been promoted will participate in this new process for AWOT, and subsequently for AWIT. Associate professors who were not subject to this process for AWOT will not participate for AWIT. Instead, we will follow the procedure used for their AWOT case, which involves the evaluation of mentorship by referees. Notably, all FP promotions will use the new mentorship evaluation process, regardless of whether it was used for the candidate’s AWIT case. One to five designated senior faculty members in each department conduct a mentorship evaluation for all cases. The candidate will be informed that this review is taking place. The invited trainees will comprise all graduate students and postdocs who are currently in the lab or have left within the last 2 years. Others with first-hand knowledge of mentoring (e.g. techs, research scientists, or UROPs) can also be included, and may be necessary to achieve the 5 or more trainees required by the SoS. The trainees will receive an e-mail requesting their input on the candidate’s mentorship of research and career development. The trainees can provide input in writing or in person. The Mentorship Evaluation Committee member will write a letter that aggregates and anonymizes this information, focusing on general patterns and not on isolated incidents or opinions. Additional information about the candidate’s mentorship (such as awards they may have received and/or the achievements of their trainees) can also be included. This letter will be one of the internal letters in the promotion case. PROMOTION COMMITTEE Each case is overseen by a department promotion committee comprised of tenured faculty members, one of whom serves as the chair. The composition and selection of the committee varies by department. As noted above, candidates should alert the DH if they believe that any MIT faculty member has a conflict of interest such that they should not serve on the promotion committee. STEPS IN PROMOTION EVALUATION The committee’s role is advisory to the DH, and the DH makes a promotion recommendation to the dean. Typically, the steps taken by the promotion committee, department, DH, science council, and dean are as follows: The committee reviews the promotion materials submitted by the candidate and develops a list of suggested reviewers, which includes at least some of the candidate’s suggestions. The committee provides the suggested referee list to the DH, who is responsible for selecting the final list. The DH writes to referees, providing the candidate’s materials and requesting a letter of evaluation. Some SoS departments include a list of peer comparisons in the external letter solicitations and some do not. See examples of requests sent to external and internal referees. Once letters are received, the promotion committee reviews all of the materials. The committee chair writes a letter that summarizes the committee’s view of the case, including strengths and weaknesses and a recommendation of whether or not to promote. The DH reviews the case prepared by the committee and decides whether or not to move it forward to department faculty review. If the decision is not to advance the case at this stage, the DH informs the dean, who also reviews the case. The DH then meets with the candidate, explaining the rationale for the decision and providing information on the path forward. The case is discussed by (some or all of the) tenured faculty members in the department, who have achieved the promotion level that the case pertains to, i.e. AWOT and AWIT cases are reviewed by tenured faculty, and FP cases are reviewed by FPs. The committee chair presents the case to the faculty, highlighting the candidate’s contributions and summarizing strengths and weaknesses. This is followed by an open discussion and a vote. The faculty vote is advisory to the DH, i.e., the decision about whether to move the case forward lies with the DH. The DH adds a letter to the case that provides an overview of the candidate and case, including a summary of the committee recommendation, faculty discussion and votes, and a justification of the decision to bring the case forward to SoS (or not). See a template Table of Contents of the materials included in a case. If the case is not moving forward, after the faculty discussion, the dean reviews it and discusses it with the DH. The DH then informs the candidate, summarizes the findings, and provides information on the path forward. For cases advanced to Science Council, the DH will prepare a presentation of the case to the dean and other SoS department heads. See the presentation template, as well as examples of content. We will ask the candidate to supply slides that can be used to present the core research achievements and future goals; the DH will discuss these with the candidate to help hone their presentation of the candidate’s research area and specific contributions. Members of Science Council vote on each case and this is advisory to the dean. If the dean decides to take the case forward, (s)he, or an Associate Dean, will present the case to Academic Council. Irrespective of the outcome, all candidates for AWOT will receive a letter, prepared by the DH and reviewed by the dean, that summarizes the rationale for the decision. Subject to the important confidentiality considerations described below, this will provide insight on strengths, areas for improvement, and the department and school council’s evaluation of a candidate’s prospects for promotion to tenure. TIMELINES AWOT and FULL cases typically have the same timeline. Candidates will not be informed of specific dates within these ranges. Decision to seek promotion                                                   In the spring term Candidate provides materials                                                 Late spring Promotion committee suggests letter writers                       Early summer Letters are sought from referees                                             Over the summer Promotion committee considers the full case                      Early fall Department faculty meeting                                                   Mid fall DH presents case to Science Council                                     Late fall Dean takes case to Academic Council                                    January MIT Corporation receives report of the promotion             February Promotion takes effect                                                              July 1 The timing for AWIT cases varies by department. Candidates are encouraged to inquire within their departments.: Decision to seek promotion                                                    By the start of the fall term Candidate provides materials                                                  varies by department Promotion committee suggests letter writers                        varies by department Letters are sought from referees                                              varies by department Promotion committee considers the full case                        varies by department Department faculty meeting                                                     varies by department DH presents case to Science Council                                      Spring term Dean takes case to Academic Council                                     April MIT Corporation votes on the promotion                              May Promotion takes effect                                                               July 1 The above timelines are guidelines. Candidates will be informed if their case will proceed on a different timeline. Even with changes to this schedule, cases are always completed within a single academic year. LETTER REQUIREMENTS Each promotion case requires a different minimum number of letters: AWOT: At least 8 external letters. At least 4 internal letters, including 2 research letters, a teaching letter, and a mentoring letter. AWIT: At least 12 external letters. At least 5 internal letters, including 3 research letters, a teaching letter, and a mentoring letter. FP: A total of 5 letters, which can be a combination of internal and external but must include a mentoring assessment letter. Back to top Confidentiality Confidentiality is essential in MIT promotions. The highest level of discretion is required to enable full evaluation and open discussion. Candidates should never be informed of any details from their promotion procedure. This includes: the names of the referees, comments from letters that could identify the writer, comments made by MIT faculty members, the dates of various meetings, or the results of any votes. This is true whether or not the candidate is promoted. With the exception of MIT faculty members involved in the evaluation process, information about the case should not be discussed with other individuals within or outside of MIT (such as untenured MIT faculty, faculty in other departments, the candidate’s trainees or external referees). Once a case is finished, the case material is no longer available to the faculty, without explicit approval from the DH or as part of a subsequent case, per the details above. The following statement from the dean is included in case materials, including the materials sent to external referees: “An essential component of the evaluation process for promotion at MIT is the solicitation of written assessments from persons familiar with the individual’s character, research and teaching capabilities, and academic qualifications. In order to assure the most candid and useful evaluations, MIT has traditionally accorded such assessments the highest degree of confidentiality. Legal developments indicate that persons being evaluated may, under a variety of circumstances, obtain access to such assessments of themselves and others. MIT intends to continue its long-standing policy of treating faculty evaluations with the highest degree of confidentiality. This policy includes taking the necessary legal actions, when appropriate, to resist attempts to breach the confidentiality of such records, and, if disclosure is required, to limit its scope as much as is feasible. Note that MIT faculty who have a conflict of interest with the candidate will not have access to the case materials, including the letters of evaluation and the discussion of the case. Conflicts of interest include spouses, close family members, romantic relationships, as well as being the candidate’s primary advisor for their PhD or post-doctoral research. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Institute’s policy or the information that you have been asked to provide, please feel free to speak to or contact me.” Back to top

Any member of the MIT School of Science community may nominate another member or members of our community for a Spot Award to acknowledge and demonstrate appreciation and recognition for the exceptional contributions of individuals and teams, large or small, to the School of Science community. Nominations can be made at any time and award winners will receive a token of your appreciation soon after. Please contact the specific DLCI HQ about how to nominate someone in their unit.

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