National Postdoc Appreciation Week, September 21-25, 2026

Hello everyone. I’m honored to be marking another National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week with all of you.

This week celebrates everything you bring to our campus community, professionally and personally.

You perform brilliant research while training in the skills that will help you succeed as independent investigators.

You mentor undergraduate and graduate students, modeling for them what it means to conduct research at the highest standards of inquiry and integrity.

And you contribute to a global scientific and technological community that transcends our campus, connecting across cultures and linking colleagues throughout the world. There are 1400 postdocs at MIT, and almost 70% of you come to MIT from other nations. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t speak to the ongoing uncertainty universities are facing across the United States — from grant funding, to immigration policy, to the job market, and the outlook for fundamental science.

It may feel like a tough time to be getting started in your career, but your passion and your resilience are part of what brought you to MIT. You have incredible prospects. And MIT is here to support you.

The Postdoctoral Association is an important conduit to the MIT administration. I meet with the PDA regularly, and I encourage you to engage with them.

And MIT Postdoctoral Services, which is part of my office, is here to help ensure that you’re well supported throughout your time at MIT. When you have questions or need help, please reach out to them.

This week, we’re hosting a few events for postdocs from departments and labs across MIT. I hope you’ll come over and see for yourself how inspiring it is when the entire postdoctoral community comes together.

On behalf of the Institute, I’d like to thank each one of you for the exceptional talent, perseverance, and creativity you bring to MIT. 

Happy Postdoctoral Appreciation Week.