The Kempner Research Fellowship
The Kempner Institute for Natural and Artificial Intelligence brings leading, early-stage postdoctoral scientists to Harvard to work on projects that advance the fundamental understanding of intelligence. Kempner research fellows independently set their research agenda but are strongly encouraged to work between fields and collaborate with preeminent experts at the Kempner Institute and at Harvard University, more generally.
Please note: The application period for this academic year has closed. The next application period will open in fall 2023. Sign up for updates or check back for more information.
Research fellows embody the Kempner’s innovative, cutting-edge approach.
Kempner research fellows come from various disciplines and work between fields to investigate new research questions at the intersection of natural and artificial intelligence. Fellows join a community of world-class scientists, and have access to one of the largest academic machine learning clusters in the world.
In addition to performing independent research, each fellowship recipient actively participates in the Kempner’s community and events.
The Kempner will welcome its inaugural cohort of up to seven research fellows in fall 2023. Fellows will serve for a term of up to three years and will receive salary and research funds, office space, and support from a deeply engaged community of scientists, as well as access to the breadth of resources and facilities available to members of Harvard University.
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Research
Given the Kempner’s focus on research excellence, the fellowship provides significant time and flexibility for fellows to pursue their research. Research fellows have access to a state-of-the-art computing cluster and a community of world-class scientists, all within an environment of collaboration, exploration and intellectual freedom to pursue their work.
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Community
As central members of the Kempner community, research fellows will be expected to maintain a full-time focus on their research project and to actively participate in the Kempner community. Like the Kempner’s investigators and associate faculty, Kempner research fellows will participate in the day-to-day work of the Kempner and help to support its mission by engaging in the educational and programmatic work of the institute via activities such as mentorship, participation in educational activities or selection committees, and co-organization of events.
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Open science
All fellows who receive financial support from the Kempner Institute will be required to sign an Open Science Participation Agreement to acknowledge and accept the Kempner’s terms related to research integrity, data access, intellectual property, developed software, non-software inventions, reagent sharing, publication, and collaboration.
Fellowship overview
Support
The benefits of the Kempner Research Fellowship include financial support, access to cutting-edge technology and research tools, and collaboration with the Kempner community of exceptional faculty, staff, and students. Kempner research fellows receive a salary of $100,000 per year plus benefits, for up to three years. In addition, fellows receive support of up to $10,000 per year for professional or research expenses.
Access
Kempner research fellows have access to one of the largest academic machine learning clusters in the world, supported by an outstanding group of engineers. In addition, they have access to an array of educational activities including Kempner courses, bootcamps, workshops, and events. Each fellow will have dedicated office space, collaboration space, and use of facilities in the new Kempner Institute facility located in Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex (SEC).
Collaboration
Research fellows become part of a select cohort of exceptional early-stage scientists working in the same field, as well as a broad and diverse community of faculty, staff, and students including: undergraduate, post-bachelor and graduate students; research fellows; visiting scientists; and Kempner Institute faculty, associate faculty, and collaborators.