Affiliate member program

Executive summary

The MIT Energy Initiative — MITEI — was formally launched by President Susan Hockfield in November 2006 to mobilize the capabilities and experience of the Institute to "foster new research in science and technology to increase energy supplies ... bringing scientists, engineers and social scientists together to envision the best energy policies for the future." MITEI is now a broad, Institute-wide initiative designed both to transform the global energy system to meet the needs of the future and to help build a bridge to that future by improving today's energy systems.

MITEI's Affiliate Member Program will contribute to a critical link in the energy innovation chain — the pairing of MIT's world-class research teams with innovators in industry who will be responsible for moving many of the products of this collaboration into the energy marketplace. Most importantly, it will provide key focus, research opportunities and critical funding for the next generation of energy technologists.

The merging of industry's "real-world" experience, vision and focused energy requirements with the creativity and research capabilities of MITEI's interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, economists, architects and planners, management and innovation experts, and social scientists will provide a powerful transformative tool to help meet the energy "grand challenges" of the 21st century.

Program Description

MITEI Program Structure

MITEI is designed to help address critical energy issues at the local, national and global scale through focused programs of:

Research Focus Areas

 

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Program Highlights

Affiliate Member "Check-Off" Program (COP)

Contributions from MITEI Affiliate Members will advance the overall goals of the Initiative — linking science, innovation, and policy to transform the world's energy systems — and will specifically support one of the following student-oriented programs at the Member's discretion:

  • The MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Project or "UROP"
    UROP provides Affiliate Members with the opportunity to support a Named Student to conduct energy research in a faculty member's laboratory over the summer, fixed at a $5000 contribution per student.
  • The MITEI Education Program
    The Education Program, shaped by MITEI's Education Task Force, is a key component of MITEI and coordinates MIT-wide energy activities. Affiliate Member contributions would support a variety of Task Force Initiatives.
  • The MITEI Campus Energy Management Program (the "Walk the Talk" Program)
    The "Walk the Talk" Program is another key component of MITEI. This Program promotes the MIT campus and physical plant as an "energy laboratory" to demonstrate the application of new sustainable living innovations on campus. Affiliate Member contributions to this program support these activities and provide MIT students with hands-on experience with energy research and technology demonstration and deployment.
  • MITEI Director's Outreach Fund
    This discretionary fund for the MITEI Director will seed a range of research, education, campus energy management and outreach activities

Through its contribution, an Affiliate Member will provide support for the MIT Energy Club, a student-led energy community, organizers of the annual MIT Energy Conference and Energy Salon Series.

In addition, MITEI Affiliate Members will

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