The Graduate Community Fellows program offers a sustained and systematic method of building graduate community at MIT, especially in the directions of interest for the OGE.
In addition, the Fellows have the opportunity to interact intimately with administrators, advocate for student interests, and gain valuable leadership experience.
— former Fellow
Graduate Community Fellows are a cadre of graduate students who work on projects and assignments that enhance graduate community in unique ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the OGE or in a partner organization, and focuses on a specific project. Current open positions are listed in the section below.
As a cadre, Fellows meet regularly to coordinate efforts, and to pool their observations and reflections. They have the opportunity to advise the OGE about the needs of the graduate student community, and serve as an important conduit for informing the OGE about the graduate student experience.
To serve as a Graduate Community Fellow, a graduate student must meet minimal eligibility requirements and agree to the terms of appointment (below). Appointment periods for Fellow positions vary.
Open Positions:
Starting Immediately
Office of Graduate Education (OGE) – GradLink and Graduate Student Support
This Fellow primarily supports the social media presence of the OGE; also, some support of graduate student programs and events that focus on graduate student support. The fellow works closely with, and reports directly to the Communications Officer, consulting with the Assistant Deans for GradSupport as needed.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Maintain and enhance OGE’s social media presence through GradLink, which may include:
- Creating regular content for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
- Developing and implementing strategies for increasing followers
- Act as a thinking partner in brand development
- Respond as needed to direct social media messages
- Support the development, implementation, and assessment of programs and events that promote the holistic well-being of graduate students (primary example: act as part of the planning team for Graduate Student Appreciation Week).
- Interact with departments, administrative offices, and student groups with which the OGE partners or whose activities the OGE funds, as needed to support the above.
- Partner with other Fellows on mutually beneficial projects.
Skills and Qualifications:
Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills; previous experience with social media platforms; ability to work independently; creative thinker. Interest in connecting with the graduate community. Familiarity with Canva and Hootsuite is a plus. Preference will be given to candidates in their second year of study or higher.
Office of Graduate Education (OGE) – GradThriving
This Fellow will support GradThriving by working closely the GradThriving Associate Dean, the GradSupport Associate Dean and the GradSupport Program Coordinator.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Create reports utilizing aggregated data provided by the Office of Graduate Education GradThriving area which includes GradSupport, GradDiversity, GradFamilies and GradExperience areas
- Update GradSupport website as needed.
- Design and create a template for a GradThrive annual report including GradSupport, GradDiversity and GradExperiences
Skills and Qualifications:
- Strong data analysis skills
- Ability to create compelling reports which capture the work of GradThriving
- Ability to offer suggestions on additional data points to be collected
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Ability to work independently to meet deadlines
- Ability to work collaboratively
Office of Sustainability and Climate Project
The Graduate Student Engagement Fellow in the MIT Office of Sustainability and the Climate Project actively engages the graduate student community in campus sustainability and climate action initiatives. Collaborating with the Office of Sustainability team, the Fellow develops and implements projects, workshops, and events tailored to graduate students’ interests. Acting as a liaison to GSC-Sustain, they foster connections within graduate student groups on sustainability matters and promote campus climate action programs. Additionally, the Fellow plays a key role in driving innovative sustainability projects involving graduate students in research, contributing to MIT’s Campus as a Test Bed program. This role offers a unique opportunity for immersion in institutional sustainability practices and contributes significantly to inspiring and empowering other graduate students to become catalysts for sustainability on campus and beyond.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Community Engagement and Outreach
- Raise awareness among graduate students of opportunities to contribute to and benefit from MIT’s campus sustainability and climate action efforts (e.g. resources such as campus data available through the Sustainability DataPool).
- Act as a liaison between graduate students, the MIT Office of Sustainability, GSC-Sustain, Graduate Housing and Sustainability Chairs, the MIT Climate Project, and the Martin Fellows, fostering collaboration and communication across the community.
- Promote MIT’s sustainability and climate action initiatives through presentations, tabling events, social media campaigns, and direct outreach.
- Program and Event Development
- Plan and coordinate sustainability-related programming targeted to graduate students during key periods (e.g., Earth Month, IAP).
- Partner with Martin Fellows and MIT Climate Project teams to co-host events that bridge research and applied campus efforts.
- Help develop and pilot sustainability content for graduate student orientation and onboarding.
- Meetings and Communication
- Participate in weekly check-ins with MITOS supervisors and relevant team members.
- Attend and contribute to meetings and events hosted by the MIT Office of Sustainability, the MIT Climate Project, GSC-Sustain, and the Martin Fellows.
- Assist with promoting student-led sustainability and climate events by helping connect them to broader outreach channels, including the MIT Events Calendar and MITOS platforms.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Strong interest in sustainability, climate change, and systems thinking in urban and campus environments.
- Commitment to fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and respectful community aligned with MIT’s mission and values.
- Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
- Enthusiasm for engaging peers and facilitating connections across academic disciplines.
- Experience or coursework related to sustainability topics such as energy, buildings, transportation, food systems, or environmental challenges is a plus.
- Experience planning and/or facilitating events preferred.
- Enrollment in a graduate program at MIT is required.
PKG Center – Community Engaged Learning
The PKG Center for Public Service is the epicenter of public service at MIT. It is a small collegial and welcoming office. The PKG Center’s overarching goals are to tap and expand MIT students’ unique skills and interests to prepare them to explore and address complex social and environmental challenges. We educate students to collaborate ethically and effectively with community partners to engage in meaningful public service, today and in their lives beyond MIT.
The Graduate Community Engagement Fellow will work closely with the Assistant Dean for Community Based Programs to support the development of community engaged learning initiatives at the PKG Center. The fellow’s projects will focus on research and programming that supports PKG’s efforts to provide technical assistance for community engaged learning across MIT through partnerships with faculty, graduate students, and DLCs.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
Community Engaged Learning
- Update the CEL Landscape Analysis
- Research CEL initiatives at peer institutions
- Coordinate CEL Faculty Luncheon
- Support the development of CEL initiatives at PKG
Database Project & Data Analysis
- Create and manage a synced database in Airtable to track and analyze outreach efforts, ensuring data insights inform engagement strategies.
- Set up systems and reporting in Airtable to streamline data collection and visualization
- Aggregate, sanitize, and analyze student engagement and demographic data across the different PKG programs
- Serve as a general resource for data analysis and visualization.
Writing and Communication Center – Technology Studio
The Writing and Communication Center (WCC) is seeking a Graduate Community Fellow (GCF) to assist in the development and management of the Communication and Technology Studio, a resource for practicing public speaking and oral communication projects. Under the supervision of WCC staff, the GCF will coordinate the studio’s operations, promote its use among MIT students, staff, and faculty, and conduct weekly orientation sessions to ensure effective use of studio resources. The GCF will also collaborate with WCC staff in organizing public speaking clinics and oral communication events.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of WCC staff, the GCF will:
- Ensure the studio and scheduling software are functioning smoothly.
- Troubleshoot any issues that arise.
- Promote the studio to the MIT community.
- Organize and lead weekly orientation sessions for new users.
- Collaborate with WCC staff to organize public speaking clinics and oral communication events.
- Be prepared to speak to both small and large groups of students and scholars about the studio.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Strong interest in public speaking, with excellent presentation and interpersonal skills.
- Experience in event promotion and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively to groups.
- Proficiency with various software and apps, with the ability to explain their functionality to others.
- Experience in troubleshooting software issues.
- Strong organizational skills.
This is a flexible position that requires both virtual and in-office work.
Applications
Applications for open positions should be submitted through this link. They will be reviewed as they are submitted; positions will be filled ASAP but some may not begin until the beginning of the next semester. Please contact gcf-admin@mit.edu with any questions.
Eligibility
- All graduate students who are registered and in good standing in a full time degree program at MIT for the current academic year are eligible to apply. (An international student who has full support in the form of an RA or TA is not eligible during regular academic terms – see Graduate Policies and Procedures for more information.)
- Fellows must be in the Boston/Cambridge area for the term of their position. A student in nonresident doctoral thesis research status, or thesis-in-absentia status, is not eligible to apply.
- Applicants must have been enrolled at MIT for at least one regular semester (fall / spring) prior to applying.
- Applicants on NSF GFRP who are on tenure are not eligible to work
- Renewal of a position is not automatic. Current or previous GCFs who wish to be renewed should speak with their supervisor.
Terms of position
- The typical Graduate Community Fellow position is often for two or more semesters and can continue into the summer term. See position descriptions for position-specific information.
- Graduate Community Fellows will receive $850 per month for 10 hours a week working on GCF tasks. Duties are outlined in each position’s description.
- You are only permitted to hold one graduate community fellow position at a time. Also please review MIT hourly employment guidelines for graduate students that can be found here
- A Fellow can be dismissed prior to agreed upon timeline for conduct considered detrimental to the Office of Graduate Education, or for failure to accomplish their responsibilities as a Graduate Community Fellow. Should one be dismissed, the payments will cease. If the OGE and GCF’s supervisor determine that the person accepted GCF payments during a time period in which the position responsibilities were not met, the OGE may pursue reimbursement of the payments from the Fellow.
Request a new position
MIT Offices interested in establishing a new graduate community fellow position should first reach out to gcf-admin@mit.edu for instructions on how to develop a proposal. All proposals must include a position description detailing the role, responsibilities, and a list of specific, concrete tasks. Supervisors must regularly meet with their fellow for mentoring and advising as well as report annually on progress. Supervisors may also anticipate some meetings with the program administrator and other supervisors throughout the year.
