2026 Marine Robotics Summer School

Applications are now open

The 6th annual Marine Robotics Summer School will take place from July 6 – 17 at Faial Island, in the Azores. The summer school is open to up to 24 students from MIT and Portuguese universities who have a strong interest in marine robotics and oceanography, and especially in ocean observation, marine biology, marine ecology, and mapping of ecosystems. The summer school is a hands-on program focused on the integration of autonomous systems with ocean observation, focusing on real-world deployments, environmental data acquisition, and interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and ocean sciences. The program also features a range of social activities. During the evenings, and over the weekend, students will have time to explore Faial and the surrounding islands.

Who can Apply?

The summer school is open to 12 Master’s and first year PhD students from Portuguese universities, and 12 MIT (upper level) undergraduate and graduate students, in the fields of engineering science (e.g., mechanical, electrical, and similar), computer science, and oceanography. Students from other science fields such as marine biology, bioengineering, geology, geophysics, that have a strong interest in marine robotics, are also encouraged to apply.

Participants will be selected based on curriculum diversity, demonstrated interest in marine robotics and/or ocean observation, motivation to engage in intensive field-based activities, ability to work in interdisciplinary teams, and the quality of their portfolio or previous project work.

Application Process

The application process is open until March 29, 2026, 11:59 pm Lisbon time zone. The application can be filed via slideroom, and will need to include the following documentation:

Resume (2 pages Max).
Career goals (1-2 pages Max, written by you, not by ChatGPT)
Portfolio, a previous project example, or document (could be your thesis) that best represents your work so far.

Accepted students will be notified in April. Selected participants from Portuguese universities will be required to pay a €100 enrollment fee. The organization will cover their round-trip air travel between Lisbon to Faial Island (Azores). Different arrangements are available for MIT students, more information can be found in the MIT flyers.

Shared dormitory accommodation on Faial Island and light lunches during the summer school will be provided for all participants. Participants will be responsible for all additional personal and extracurricular expenses.

Terms of Admission

The Marine Robotics Summer School reserves the right to withdraw or rescind an offer of admission under any of the following conditions:

Any part of your application contains misrepresentations;
You engage in behavior that brings into question your honesty, maturity, or professional suitability; or
You engage in conduct that violates MIT policy.

All admission decisions are final.

¹^{This summer school is an initiative jointly organized by the MIT Portugal Program, LSTS – Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory of the University of Porto, Institute of Marine Sciences-OKEANOS of the University of Azores, and +ATLANTIC CoLAB, Partners in this initiative are IMAR – Institute of the Sea; School of the Sea of the Azores, Instituto Superior Técnico; Marinha Portuguesa; and FCT/OKEANOS – UID/05634/2025.}