Fellowships
The Legatum Center administers a competitive fellowship program for incoming and current MIT graduate students, across all academic disciplines, who demonstrate the potential to create sustainable, for-profit enterprises in low-income countries. The Center provides financial assistance, specialized seminars, business plan coaching, and opportunities for fellows to engage with prominent entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and investors.
Application
The application for the 2009-2010 MIT Legatum Fellowship is now available. Applications will be accepted until 5 PM US EST on January 31, 2009.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Legatum Fellowship, the candidate must meet the following requirements:
* Admitted to a graduate degree program at MIT (Both incoming students and current students enrolled for the following academic year are eligible.)
* An MIT student for the duration of the fellowship.
Legatum Fellowship Commitment
Legatum Fellows commit to participating in regular Fellows-only seminars, and in Center events (Legatum Lectures, networking lunches and dinners, etc.), and are required, by the end of their fellowship, to submit a viable for-profit business plan for implementation in a low-income country. As alumni of the fellowship program, individuals will join a growing network of international entrepreneurs committed to bringing these business plans to fruition.
Duration of the fellowship: September 2009 – June 2010
For applicants to MIT
There is a two-step process:
1) Apply for the Legatum Fellowship
2) Apply for admission to a graduate degree program at MIT (MBA, SM, PhD, etc.).
Only those who receive admission offers from MIT will be reviewed by the Legatum Fellowship Selection Committee. Deadlines for application to MIT vary by department, See Application Deadlines.
For current MIT graduate students
Apply for the Legatum Fellowship and indicate the program in which you are enrolled through the following academic year.
For re-applicants
For applicants who applied for the 2008-2009 fellowship but were not admitted to MIT or did not receive a Legatum Fellowship: You will be required to complete the 2009-2010 Fellowship application.
Financial Assistance
The Legatum Center provides assistance to support Fellows’ graduate studies at MIT. The amount of assistance will be determined based on a combination of merit and need.
As funding is limited, we encourage applicants to also explore external sources of funding. For more information on financial aid at MIT, please visit the Student Financial Services website at http://web.mit.edu/sfs/index.html.
Note to Fellowship Applicants:
If you are applying for the Legatum Fellowship you must complete the following sections of the online application: (The online application runs best in Internet Explorer and Safari browsers. Please fill out the Fellowship pages only.)
Section 1: Personal Information
Section 2: General Information
Section 3: MIT Information
Section 4: Other Fellowship / Financial Resources
Section 5: Entrepreneurial Idea
Section 6: Essays
Section 7: Letters of Recommendation
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
We highly recommend that you submit your application through the online process. In the event that you are unable to complete your application online, you may request an application by emailing legatum@mit.edu. Please note that ALL application materials must be received, in office, by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2009.
Other important links at MIT:
Sloan School of Management Admissions
Sloan Fellows Admissions
Graduate Students Office
International Students Office
