What you need to know

MacVicar Faculty Fellows are selected on the basis of merit through an annual nomination process. Fellows are appointed by the Provost, on the recommendation of an advisory committee composed of MIT faculty and two current undergraduate students.

All tenured, full-time members of the regular faculty are eligible regardless of rank or any concurrently held position, such as an endowed chair. Tenured faculty are appointed for a full 10-year term. Junior faculty are eligible for an initial three-year term and, if tenure is granted, their fellowship can be extended with the total duration not to exceed ten years. 

Nominations are typically made by a faculty member’s colleagues, home department, or department head, and successful nominations demonstrate sustained, exemplary contributions to the education of undergraduates at the Institute.

Some key points to remember:

  • The selection process is highly competitive and nominations that are not successful are eligible for reconsideration the following year.
  • Please note that it is unusual for junior faculty to be appointed, particularly early in their MIT career.
  • Appointments begin on February 1.
  • Fellows receive $10,000 per year of discretionary funds for educational activities, research, travel, and other scholarly expenses.

What you need to do

  • Download the nomination guidelines for 2026 in PDF format.
  • Review our guidance for the number and content of supporting letters. They are the largest – and most important – component of a nomination and of vital importance to the advisory committee’s deliberations. Your goal should be to present a vivid portrait of the nominee and their contributions to undergraduate education at MIT.
  • Nominations are made to the Provost and should include:

    1. A primary nomination letter

      This is the cornerstone of your packet. It should should summarize the nominee’s undergraduate teaching record, highlight exceptional contributions to undergraduate curricula or pedagogical innovations, and describe their impact on students, including mentorship and advising.

      The primary nomination letter is typically (though not always) written by their department head and about 2-4 pages in length.

    2. Three to six supporting letters from faculty colleagues

      These letters should be, at minimum, 1-2 pages long and are most effective when they include specifics such as personal observations of the nominee's teaching, concrete examples of curricular innovation or pedagogical improvements, ways the nominee went “above and beyond” for the sake of undergraduates or undergraduate education, and detailed references to contributions outside the classroom (e.g. course development, advising, mentoring, etc.).

      If the primary nomination letter is not written by the department head, one of these letters must be.

    3. Three to six letters from undergraduate students or alumni

      These letters are typically about one page each and often make the most difference to the Advisory Committee. The most compelling ones illustrate the nominee’s effectiveness in the classroom, impact on academic success during and after the student's time at MIT, and the meaningful support they provided through mentorship and engagement outside formal instruction.

      Note that fewer enthusiastic letters are more impactful than several perfunctory ones.

    4. The nominee's curriculum vitae

    5. A list of undergraduate subjects taught 

      Include the number of students for each subject.

    6. Student evaluation results

      Please use our summary form for subjects taught (excluding Spring 2020).

  • Submit your nomination as a single PDF to macvicarprogram@mit.edu by Friday, November 20, 2026.

Please email macvicarprogram@mit.edu or call (617) 253-9763 if you have questions about the required documents.