The Wu Tsai Institute (WTI) Postdoctoral Fellowships Program at Yale University supports early-career researchers from a range of disciplines in their pursuit of interdisciplinary research that drives discoveries about the mind through the integrated study of the brain. Wu Tsai Postdoctoral Fellows work across traditional disciplinary boundaries using experimental, computational, or theoretical methods to investigate human cognition and explore human potential. All admitted Fellows benefit from structured programming, shared research facilities, internal research funding sources and opportunities, and other resources offered by the Institute to advance their scientific training and professional development.
Wu Tsai Postdoctoral Fellows design innovative projects that expand their expertise, supported by mentorship tailored to their interdisciplinary goals. The fellowship is open to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Successful applicants have demonstrated an interdisciplinary training plan through various approaches, including (but not limited to):
- Co-mentoring across disciplines: Develop a co-mentoring team of two or more Wu Tsai Faculty Mentors from different disciplines, one of which may overlap with the applicant’s PhD field.
- Transitioning to a new field: Work with a single Wu Tsai Faculty Mentor whose research area differs substantially from the applicant’s PhD (incremental transitions will not be considered).
- Open-ended computational/theoretical projects: Collaborate flexibly with multiple research groups to investigate human cognition through computational theory, analysis, and modeling of neuroscience data and concepts.
Proposals focused on disease mechanisms or that do not contribute to the Institute’s understanding of non-disease states are not suitable for this call. Candidates are encouraged to reach out to any of the over 220 Wu Tsai Faculty Members before applying. Faculty who are currently mentoring other Wu Tsai Postdoctoral Fellows are unable to serve as mentors to new applicants.
The Wu Tsai Institute fellowship provides an $80,000 USD annual salary for up to three years, and benefits:
- $2,000 in discretionary funds with opportunity to apply for additional internal funds
- Access to shared research facilities and high-performance computing
- Protected time and programmatic opportunities for professional development, skill development, and networking with a supportive cohort of peers
- Robust mentoring program to support career development, featuring mentoring committees, compacts, and training
Applications close on October 1, 2026.