MIT Energy Initiative
MIT Energy Initiative
Founding Membership
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The scope of the world's energy problems calls for a comprehensive portfolio of responses to environmental, economic, scientific, security, and political issues.
Under the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), Institute researchers are hard at work on this portfolio, addressing alleviating immediate shortage, security, and environmental concerns. We are also working to find secure, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable energy sources.
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Program Description
Sponsored Research Program (SRP)
The Sponsored Research Program is a member-directed portfolio of research. The core research projects are the member’s “flagship” projects, developed through an iterative process involving the Member and MIT. The member has certain Intellectual Property (IP) rights associated with their sponsored research.
Member-directed seed fund projects supplement the core program by soliciting proposals from MIT faculty and senior researchers in response to a call in specific research areas of interest to the member. The projects selected are part of the member’s SRP.
Energy Fellowships and Other Educational
Founding Members direct ten named graduate fellowships, the “Company-MIT Energy Fellows,” to sponsored research projects, consortium projects, or departments of interest to the member. Alternatively, these fellowships can be converted to fellowship equivalents with multiple options: postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate research, international internships, and teaching fellows. The Named Energy Fellows become part of a Society of Energy Fellows supported by the Founding, Sustaining and Associate Members.
Energy Research Seed Fund (ERSF)
A Founding Member pools a portion of its contribution with that of other MITEI Founding and Sustaining Members to seed early-stage innovative research proposals annually solicited from faculty and senior researchers across campus.
Representatives from MITEI partner organizations meet once a year to review seed fund progress and proposals. MITEI typically leverages member funds with additional support from philanthropists, alumni, and other sources of funding. MIT retains the IP rights to the research, but members see the range of proposals from across the campus and the results of the supported projects.
Support for MITEI Program Related Activities
MITEI supports a range of activities for its members, providing them with contract and research management support, as well as a program of policy and public outreach that includes a range of symposia, colloquia and seminars, a website, an annual MITEI research conference to which all MITEI members are invited to hear research results and policy discussions, and discounts for executive education and other energy conferences at MIT.
Industrial Liaison Program
MITEI Founding and Sustaining members are also automatically enrolled in MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) which gives members personalized support in navigating MIT’s extensive resources and research community, and entitles them to participate in numerous member-only ILP conferences and events.
External Advisory Board
Founding Members become members of the MITEI External Advisory Board (EAB) convened annually for two days, chaired by former US Secretary of State, George Shultz and reporting to the MIT President.
Office at MITEI
Founding Members have the option of being assigned an office at MITEI headquarters, staffed by a company research manager of the member’s choice, in order to maintain close contact with their programs and with MITEI leadership.
Program Governance
Seat on the MITEI Executive Committee
The Executive Committee meets annually to review MITEI’s progress, provide strategic input, and report to the offices of the MIT President and Provost. MITEI Founding Members, and rotating Sustaining Members have a seat on the Executive Committee.
Seat on the MITEI Governing Board
The Governing Board provides input to MITEI leadership on overall direction and member activities and serves as the Program Committee for the Energy Research Seed Fund. The Board meets twice a year - in the spring to review seed fund progress and proposals and in the fall at the time of the annual MITEI Research Conference. Founding and Sustaining members each have a seat on the MITEI Governing Board with the directors of MITEI and the MIT Energy Council.
Joint Oversight for Member's Sponsored Research
Each Founding Member designates researchers/managers to form, with MIT PI's, a joint steering committee for overseeing and guiding the sponsored research. With faculty consent, Founding Members may place a researcher in a participating MIT faculty member's lab.
