IAIFI Fellowship · Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Applications are open for the IAIFI Fellowship 2027 to 2030, a competitive postdoctoral research opportunity for early career researchers working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and fundamental physics. The fellowship is offered by the NSF Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions, known as IAIFI, an interdisciplinary research institute involving researchers at MIT, Harvard, Northeastern University and Tufts University.
The programme seeks talented researchers who can contribute to interdisciplinary research connecting physics and artificial intelligence. IAIFI aims to develop new AI approaches informed by first principles, best practices and domain knowledge from fundamental physics while also using physics challenges to inspire advances in AI.
The fellowship is expected to begin on September 1, 2027 and will run for three years. The programme aims to appoint new IAIFI Postdoctoral Fellows each academic year, subject to programme needs and available funding. Fellows will have substantial freedom in choosing their research direction while working with mentors from both physics and AI.
The IAIFI Fellowship is designed to bring together researchers from different scientific disciplines and encourage collaboration across theoretical physics, experimental physics, astrophysics and foundational artificial intelligence.
IAIFI is one of the inaugural institutes established through the United States National Science Foundation led National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes programme. Its research mission combines advances in artificial intelligence with fundamental physics to enable new scientific discoveries and develop innovative AI methodologies.
IAIFI Fellows are expected to play an important role in building connections across research areas. Their work can help translate physics challenges into broader AI research problems while also applying modern AI techniques to questions in fundamental physics.
Each Fellow will work with two IAIFI mentors, with one mentor from physics and one from AI. This structure is designed to support interdisciplinary research development and provide guidance as Fellows establish their research programmes.
Applicants will be asked to identify IAIFI faculty members who could be suitable mentors for their research goals. Potential mentors do not need to be contacted before submitting an application.
• Three year postdoctoral fellowship term.
• Opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI and physics.
• Substantial freedom to choose a research focus.
• Mentorship from one physics researcher and one AI researcher.
• Opportunity to collaborate with researchers across theoretical physics, experimental physics, astrophysics and foundational AI.
• Access to the broader IAIFI research community.
• Opportunity to develop new AI approaches informed by fundamental physics.
• Opportunity to apply AI methods to major problems in fundamental science.
• Research environment involving MIT, Harvard, Northeastern University and Tufts University.
• Visa support for eligible international applicants through the MIT International Scholars Office.
• Competitive postdoctoral salary, currently stated by IAIFI to be around 15 percent higher than the minimum MIT postdoctoral salary.
The IAIFI Fellowship encourages research connecting artificial intelligence with fundamental interactions and scientific discovery.
Potential areas include:
• Theoretical physics.
• Experimental physics.
• Astrophysics.
• Foundational artificial intelligence.
• Machine learning for physics.
• Physics informed artificial intelligence.
• AI methods for scientific discovery.
• Statistical inference.
• Computational approaches to fundamental science.
• Interdisciplinary AI and physics research.
Applicants are not required to have research experience in both physics and AI. However, the proposed research should demonstrate a clear intention to build bridges between the two disciplines.
Applicants should meet the following requirements:
• Be an early career researcher interested in interdisciplinary AI and physics research.
• Hold a PhD in Physics, Astrophysics, Statistics, Computer Science or a related field.
• Have received the PhD or expect to receive it by September 1, 2027.
• Propose research that aims to connect artificial intelligence and fundamental physics.
• Demonstrate potential for interdisciplinary research.
• Be prepared to participate in the intellectual life of IAIFI.
Researchers whose expertise is primarily in physics or primarily in AI can still apply. However, the proposed research should aim to create meaningful connections across the two disciplines.
International applicants are welcome. If selected, IAIFI will work with the MIT International Scholars Office to determine the appropriate visa arrangements. English language proficiency is required for applicants who need a J1 visa to work at MIT.
Applicants must prepare the following materials:
• Cover letter of no more than one page.
• Curriculum vitae. One to two pages is recommended, although longer CVs are accepted.
• Research interests statement of no more than two pages.
• List of publications.
• Exactly three reference letters.
• Identification of two potential IAIFI mentors, with one from physics and one from AI.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
IAIFI Fellowship
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