Day 1. Sample Schedule
Welcome and Introductions
Senior Faculty panel: Why Academia?
Presentations by Rising Stars and feedback
Panel Discussion: Getting the job: Strategies for the Next 12 Months
Faculty Applications 101
Research Statement Workshop
Chalk Talk Workshop and Interview Day Strategies
Teaching Statement Workshop
Group Dinner
Day 2. Sample Schedule
Junior Faculty Panel Discussion
AIChE Meet the Faculty Poster Session Workshop
Discussions with Faculty Hosts
Travel to lunch with MIT grad student/postdoc guide
Farewell Lunch: Thriving as a ChE Professor
Eligibility: Applicants must be female doctoral students and post-docs who aspire to submit faculty applications to chemical engineering departments in the Fall of 2026 or later. Individuals already holding faculty positions or submitting faculty applications in Fall 2025 will not be accepted.
See instruction and information about the letter of recommendation.
Selection: 20 candidates will be selected from the submitted applicants.
This letter is required from a faculty member having a deep familiarity with the applicant’s research, such as the applicant’s research advisor. No more than one recommendation letter will be accepted.
See instruction and information about the letter of recommendation.
Does my letter of recommendation have to be from the person who nominated me?
No. Your letter of recommendation can be from anyone who can speak to your skills and experience in research and teaching.
Is there anything special that should be communicated in the recommendation letter?
No. It can be a standard letter of recommendation that speaks to your skills and experience in research and teaching.
Should the research statement cover both current and proposed research? Is there a limit on the length of my research statement?
Since applicants are more than a year away from applying for faculty positions, we suggest you supply one page on current and past research. If you would like to add in a paragraph within the one-page limit about future plans that is fine but not required.
When will I know if I’ve been accepted to the program?
Notification of acceptance to the fall symposium will be given in the early summer.
What will the hotel and accommodations be?
For selected participants, MIT will cover the cost of travel, meals, and hotel accommodations that are made by us. In order to minimize paperwork for everyone, the cost of additional incidental expenses, such as subway rides or snacks, will be the responsibility of the participant.
What should I say in my proposed research presentation?
Each Rising Star will be given 5 minutes to present their vision for their proposed faculty research. You can think of this as a condensed version of job talk, having the flavor of an extended ‘elevator pitch’.
There will be ~5 minutes for interaction following each presentation. Questions and comments can come from the faculty, the communications expert, or other workshop participants in your breakout group.
Your slides should follow a logical flow and the purpose of each slide should be clear. Ideally, the purpose should appear in the slide’s title. Any text used should be concise and all images used should be clearly labeled. Your talk should provide a broad introduction to your proposed research topic. Additionally, your introduction should clearly explain your main research question and the potential impact of your proposed research.
Clearly explain the methods and logic you propose to answer your research question and why this is a unique approach. Limit discussion of your current research to the ideas needed to support your proposed research (no more than one slide).
Some additional resources are available at http://mitcommlab.mit.edu/cheme/use-the-commkit/
“How to give an effective job talk” https://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=6911&bhcp=1
“How to give a good talk” Uri Alon, Molecular Cell, Volume 36, Issue 2, 165-167
Other Questions? Contact risingstars-cheme@mit.edu.
