About the Whitehead Fellows Program

At the heart of Whitehead Institute’s educational mission is the Whitehead Fellows Program—an initiative that has helped cultivate an extraordinary cadre of scientific leaders.

The program emerged from the notion that nurturing young scientists during their most creative years will yield a new generation of leaders more rapidly than traditional programs. Fellows are given the space, resources and support needed to run their own labs and pursue an independent research agenda. However, unlike traditional faculty positions, the Fellows do not have teaching responsibilities. Fellows are appointed for a three-year term with the expectation that it will be extended to five years.

“The Fellows Program was critically important to my development as an independent scientist,” says Bruce Tidor, now a Professor of Bioengineering and Computer Science at MIT. “It gave me the freedom to pursue my own research directions unfettered by the usual academic responsibilities of a faculty member, while surrounding me with all of the wonderful science, stimulating ideas, and outstanding role models that have always been the hallmark of Whitehead Institute.”

	“As I look back on my days as a Whitehead Fellow, I think about the tremendous scientific freedom that I had. I was able to pursue research within a scientifically amazing community. It was exhilarating,” says Peter S. Kim, President of Merck Research Labs.

This kind of support and freedom enables the Fellows to use their time at the Institute to concentrate solely on building a strong research program. In addition, Fellows have the unique opportunity to establish and maintain an independent laboratory, something that many researchers don’t experience until later in their careers.

“The Whitehead Fellows Program is a remarkable adventure. We gamble that a young, untested scientist can move a risky project from an idea to reality. And we ask them to do this independently; it’s solely their creation from beginning to the end,” says Whitehead Member Gerry Fink. “Many applicants shy away from such a heady challenge. But, for those who have taken up the gauntlet, the program has provided a springboard into extraordinary careers.”

Fellows must possess not only boundless energy, but also the audacity to take risks and forge a path through uncharted territory. This has been true since the program launched in 1984, when newly appointed Fellow David C. Page (now Whitehead Director) set up his fledgling lab. When Page arrived—just two months out of medical school—his lab space consisted of little more than empty bench space and a towering stack of boxes. “My first year as a Fellow was both exhilarating and somewhat frightening, as I realized the degree to which I was on my own,” says Page. “But, that experience encouraged me to grow in ways that I might not have otherwise.”

	"Having had the experience [of being a Fellow] made my transition to a faculty position much easier. I can’t imagine having done it any other way," says former Fellow Angelika Amon.

Like Page, many former Fellows view their early experience working as independent investigators as a career shaping process. “I think that the program is fantastic, particularly because the mentoring system is taken very seriously,” says Angelika Amon, who worked as a Fellow from 1996 to 1999.

“Gerry Fink and Terry Orr-Weaver were terrific mentors—they reviewed my papers and grants, and offered me tremendous guidance and support. Having had this experience made my transition to a faculty position much easier. I can’t image having done it any other way.”

Candidates for a Whitehead fellowship must be nominated by their faculty advisor or mentor.

For more information on how Fellows are selected, visit the links below or e-mail fellowsprogram@wi.mit.edu.

[current fellows]

[former fellows]

[selection of whitehead fellows]