MIT’s professional development certificates help graduate students and postdocs focus their growth in essential areas.
Research Mentoring Certificate
This program provides an opportunity for PhDs and postdocs to develop their mentoring skills and grow their practice of productive and inclusive research mentoring. Fundamental to the success of mentors and mentees alike, mentoring is also a transferable skill that is highly valued within multiple contexts. Each session will be led by facilitators trained by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER).
During this program, students will explore key concepts in mentoring pedagogy, including:
- Maintaining effective communication
- Aligning expectations
- Assessing understanding
Over the course of the program, students will develop a mentoring philosophy that they can use in their mentoring roles and draw from as they describe their strengths as mentors in applications and interviews.
All PhDs and postdocs at MIT who are interested in research mentoring are encouraged to apply for the program, which will take place in person during IAP and over the summer.
The application period for the June 2026 Research Mentoring Certificate is now open, and will close on May 11th.
This certificate program is a collaboration between CAPD, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the School of Engineering Communication Labs.
Grant Writing Training Certificate
Grant writing is an essential skill that grows in importance during the transition from graduate student to postdoc and faculty member. This certificate program provides training in principles of grant writing and the grant submission process, and will be especially useful for PhD students and postdocs planning for a research-focused faculty career, or research-centered roles in industry.
The Grant Writing Training Certificate consists of 3 training sessions:
- Overview session featuring faculty expertise on the grant-writing process (Dec. 11th)
- 2 half-day intensive sessions facilitated by a professional grant writing trainer (IAP)
- Spring semester session focusing on the grant submission process, including MIT’s internal processes, requirements for submission of federal grant applications, and information on creating budget proposals.
- Optional 4th session, details to follow
Applications for the 2025-2026 Grant Writing Training Certificate are now closed.
This certificate program is co-sponsored and produced by CAPD and the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Path of Professorship Certificate
Participants in the Path of Professorship may complete additional requirements to earn the Path of Professorship Certificate.
The Path of Professorship workshop is an annual multi-day workshop preparing MIT graduate students and post-doctoral researchers to enter careers in academia. The event is designed for attendees who identify as or support the unique experiences of women. Women and non-binary professors from MIT and a diverse range of colleges and universities share about their experiences in academia in an exciting and informative weekend. Learn more about the workshop and its learning outcomes at the link above.
This workshop is sponsored by MIT Career Advising & Professional Development and the Office of Graduate Education, with support for postdoctoral researchers from the Office of the Vice President for Research.
You must be admitted into the Path of Professorship program in order to be eligible to earn the certificate. For more information on the Path of Professorship Certificate, email Amanda Cornwall, acorn5@mit.edu, or Elsie Otero, eotero@mit.edu.
