Professional Development

Professional and Leadership Development

The Laboratory recognizes the value of its employees and the importance of fostering a positive environment. Professional development is encouraged at the Laboratory, and Training and Education provides a range of initiatives to help employees reach their goals, increase their knowledge, develop their skills, and be successful in their career. We offer a variety of courses that are open to all employees, regardless of what stage they are in their career.  Courses are offered in areas such as public speaking, communicating effectively, project management, and time management.    

Respectful Workplace 

A respectful workplace is a safe place of employment where employees are valued, recognized, treated fairly, have clear expectations, and work harmoniously. The Laboratory provides courses to enhance your workplace environment, and all staff are encouraged to attend. Some courses are required on an annual basis, while others are available to take at your own pace. The Laboratory offers courses in areas such as psychological safety, emotional intelligence, inner critic, harassment awareness, difficult conversations, and how to be an active bystander.

Conferences & Workshops

Lincoln Laboratory hosts annual conferences, workshops, and seminars that bring together members of technical and defense communities to share advancements and ideas. These events foster a continuing dialogue that enhances technology development and provides direction for future research.

Technical Education Committee Program

We offer semester-long courses in advanced and unique technical areas. The courses, taught by Lincoln Laboratory experts, expand our staff's technical knowledge and versatility. Courses have been taught on radar, signal processing, ISR, cyber security, machine learning, communications, engineering, mathematics, optics, and undersea systems.

Technical Seminars

Technical seminars provide the opportunity for technical staff to present current research projects and solicit feedback from peers. They also encourage cross-collaboration between groups within different R&D areas. Speakers from industry, government, and academia are often invited to the Laboratory to share seminars on their research as well.

Mentoring

The Laboratory offers formal one-on-one and circle mentoring opportunities to all employees, at all stages of their careers.

Lincoln Scholars

For staff members interested in pursuing formal technical graduate programs at either the master's or doctoral level, the Laboratory offers the opportunity to apply for admission to the Lincoln Scholars Program, which enables full-time graduate study at MIT or other approved Boston-area universities. 

Part-Time Degree Studies Program

The Part-Time Degree Studies program offers the opportunity to pursue part-time graduate work at local academic institutions or via distance education. While in the program, the employee remains a full-time member of the Laboratory. The program offers additional tuition support on top of MIT's tuition assistance plan, substantially mitigating the financial cost to the individual.

Teaching Appointments

For Lincoln Laboratory staff members who are interested in giving back to the academic community, teaching appointments are a great route to explore and are highly encouraged.

MIT Professional Education

Lincoln Laboratory collaborates with MIT faculty to offer courses through MIT's Professional Education Short Programs. These professional education courses attract participants to the campus for topics designed to expand familiarity with emerging technologies, like biotechnology, machine learning, or big data. Lincoln Laboratory staff both teach these courses and participate as students.