Research assistantships (RAs) are designed to support students engaged in research under the supervision of a Harvard or MIT faculty member
This includes research labs located at many institutions affiliated with Harvard and with MIT.
Looking for a research project? See these resources on Finding a Lab.
Questions about HST RA appointments? Ask laurie [at] mit.edu (Laurie Ward) in E25-518 at MIT.
HST MD students should also review the information here.
RA Costs
Costs vary depending on the student’s status and the amount of time devoted to research. These sheets have been revised to reflect changes announced by MIT. Spring 2022 appointments will be processed at these revised rates:
- PhD students, pre-qualifying exam – adjusted annually, effective June 1
- PhD students, post-qualifying exam – adjusted annually effective June 1
- Standard MD RA - compatible with full academic course load
- Extended MD RA - for students committing the majority of their effort to research
RA Appointment Processing
All RA appointments are processed thru MIT. Guarantee of payment – in the form of an MIT cost object, purchase order, check request, or billing agreement - is required before the appointment can be processed. For non-MIT labs, this can take up to three months. As a result, students are advised to submit their RA application form as early as possible.
