Principles of Conduct and Engagement
Each year, the entire ESI team undertakes a review of our Principles of Conduct and Engagement, our public commitments governing both our internal practices as an organization, and our partnerships with individuals, companies, governments, research centers and community groups around the world.
We have now completed our 2021 update to this document, and want to take this opportunity to publicly share some of the more significant changes. You can read a short summary of what's new on our website, or review the entire updated document here.
ESI is proud to be on the leading edge of a growing trend at MIT, of publicly committing to high ethical standards of conduct as they relate to the work of individual departments and centers. We would be pleased to hear feedback on our revised principles, or speak to you about our process for creating these principles—reach out to us at esi@mit.edu!
People, Prosperity & the Planet
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The newest event in ESI's People, Prosperity & the Planet speaker series will be held on Wednesday, November 4, at 12:00 pm. The event, "Connecting with Americans on Climate Change," will feature sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of the bestselling Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, in conversation with our five extraordinary journalism fellows who have been reporting on local climate issues in news outlets around the country.
Together, these speakers will discuss ways to engage Americans in areas of the country where many still are uncertain about the science of climate change, the seriousness of the impacts, or the practicality of the solutions. We’ll explore strategies for understanding your audience, balancing environmental education with storytelling, and the role of bridge-building in activating action on climate change, among other themes.
Register for the free virtual event today.
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Martin Fellowships for Sustainability
Every year, ESI awards ten fellowships to outstanding MIT PhD students whose research and personal commitments serve to advance environmental and social sustainability. Students accepted into the Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability receive two semesters of tuition and stipend, and more importantly, are welcomed into a community of students and alumni who are working to create a more sustainable world in every field of study and across industry, academia and public service.
Nominations for our 2022-2023 cohort of Martin Fellows are now open! Apply by the deadline of Friday, November 19, 2021.
Learn How to Apply
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Survey for Educators
ESI is conducting a survey on "Sustainability Education in Secondary Schools and Higher Education Institutions in the United States." If you are a high school teacher or post-secondary instructor in any content area, please complete the survey to help us better understand how you are addressing sustainability topics in your courses and the practices that you are using in your teaching. The survey takes 10-30 minutes to complete.
Take the Survey
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UN: A clean environment is a human right: Over the objections of a few member countries, including the US, the United Nations has passed a resolution recognizing a human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Similar rights have impacted legal doctrines in countries around the world.
- Grist
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Biden administration plans for offshore wind everywhere: The administration has approved the first large-scale wind energy operations off the American coast, including one in Massachusetts. Now it's aiming to clear the way for 30 gigawatts of wind power in the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico in the next 10 years.
- Ars Technica
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This Week
- Financial Policy and the Environment, the 8th annual conference of the MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy, this year themed around the finance policy implications of climate impacts and solutions. This conference will be held virtually. October 20-21. Registration coming soon.
- Sustainable Manufacturing, a webinar in the MIT Club of Germany's Climate Change Matters series. Featuring four experts on using digital technologies to make manufacturing more sustainable. Wednesday, October 20, 11 am-12:30 pm. Register.
- The Fate of the Terrestrial Biosphere, a webinar with influential climate scientist Josh Fisher of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Chapman University and Hydrosat. Hosted by the Terrer Lab in the MIT Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Wednesday, October 20, 2-3 pm. Register.
- A Discussion About the State of Climate Science between MIT Prof. Kerry Emanuel, author of Climate Science, Risk & Solutions, and NYU Prof. Steven Koonin, author of Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters. Hosted by the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. This event is open to the MIT community only. Wednesday, October 20, 3:30-5 pm in Room 10-250. Register.
- Cities Building Climate Solutions and Resiliency, a webinar with two MIT alumni working on urban climate solutions. Hosted by the MIT Alumni Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Network. Wednesday, October 20, 4-5 pm. Register.
- A Moms Climate Conversation with Katharine Hayhoe, the renowned climate communicator, atmospheric scientist and Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy. A virtual event hosted by the climate advocacy group Mothers Out Front. Wednesday, October 20, 7-8 pm. Register.
- Life Sciences: Developing Talent, a webinar in MIT Sloan's Inclusive Innovation Economy series, on ways to ensure equity and inclusion in the life sciences industry and the benefits of leading on organizational diversity. Thursday, October 21, 12:30-1:30 pm. This event is for the MIT community only (including alumni). Register.
- We Got a Climate Bill for Massachusetts—Now What?, a conversation between State Senator Michael Barrett and Professor Nathan Phillips of Boston University on the implementation of Massachusetts' major new climate law. Hosted by 350 Mass. Thursday, October 21, 7 pm online. Register.
Save the Date
- VERGE 21, a virtual event for climate tech across energy, mobility, carbon removal, agriculture and more. With dozens of breakout sessions and keynote speakers including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Gina McCarthy and Bill McKibben. October 25-28. Browse the program and get tickets (registration for the keynotes is free).
- Utility Leadership in Accelerating the Carbon-Free Energy Transition, a webinar hosted by the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Initiative. Monday, October 25, 1 pm. Register.
- MIT Energy Night, MIT's annual free summit on climate and energy innovations, featuring research labs, early stage startups, and a mix of industry and academic professionals in the clean energy space. Friday, October 29, 10 am-9 pm.
- A Drier Future for Europe and the Mediterranean, featuring Alexandre Tuel of the University of Bern. Part of the MIT Civil & Environmental Engineering Department's Environmental Science Seminar Series. Friday, October 29, 12-1 pm online and on campus. Contact Lumidi Campbell for attendance options.
- C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium & Awards, a virtual showcase and celebration of extraordinary women advancing a low-carbon energy future. November 3-4. Register.
- Visualizing Our Future Coasts, an online introduction to a new feature in the En-ROADS climate solutions simulator that allows users to explore global sea level rise in different warming scenarios. Thursday, November 4, sessions at 7 am and 2 pm. Explore all En-ROADS events.
- Climatetech Summit 2021, Greentown Labs' annual climate technology entrepreneurship conference. Thursday, November 4, 9 am-8 pm. This year's conference will be a hybrid of in-person sessions at the Greentown Labs facilities in Somerville, Mass. and Houston, Texas with virtual livestreams. Get tickets.
- Connecting with Americans on Climate Change, the latest People, Prosperity & the Planet event from ESI. Sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of the bestselling Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, speaks with five environmental solutions journalism fellows about connecting climate science and solutions to local values and perspectives in diverse regions of the U.S. Thursday, November 4, 12-1:15 pm. Register.
- Sustainability Connect 2021: Building a Net-Zero MIT Together, the MIT Office of Sustainability's annual forum and workshop for the MIT community to discuss campus sustainability goals. This year's event will take up the ambitious commitments to a net-zero-carbon MIT set down in the Institute's new climate action plan. It will be held virtually. Monday, November 8, 1-2:30 pm. Register.
- MIT Water Summit, the annual conference bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia to discuss challenges and opportunities in the water sector. This year's summit will be a hybrid event with the theme "coastal cities and ecosystems." November 15-16. Register.
- The Climate of Attention, a webinar with Elizabeth Kolbert, author of multiple best-selling books on climate change. Hosted by the Harvard Divinity School and the Planetary Health Alliance. Monday, November 15, 7 pm. Register.
- Far from Heaven: Challenges to Safe Drinking Water in Iowa, featuring Dave Cwiertny of the University of Iowa. Part of the MIT Civil & Environmental Engineering Department's Environmental Science Seminar Series. Friday, November 19, 12-1 pm online and on campus. Contact Lumidi Campbell for attendance options.
- The Climate of the Future, a webinar with Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future. Hosted by the Harvard Divinity School and the Planetary Health Alliance. Monday, November 22, 7 pm. Register.
- Cultivate Tomorrow, the first US hackathon focused on cellular agriculture and cell cultured food. Teams of undergraduate and graduate students, working with industry mentors, will solve problems in the production, marketing and communication of cell cultured food. The hybrid competition will take place the week of January 17. Learn more or apply to compete by November 15.
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Internships, Fellowships and Work Opportunities
- Student Fellowships: ESI is accepting nominations for the Martin Fellows for Sustainability. Ten MIT PhD students from any school will receive two semesters of tuition and stipend and join a community of students and alumni working to advance environmental and social sustainability in every field. Learn how to be nominated by November 19.
- Student Fellowships: The MIT Office of Sustainability is hiring an upper-level undergraduate or graduate student for a paid, part-time fellowship in Sustainability Data Analytics. Apply.
- Job: The MIT Energy Initiative is hiring a postdoctoral associate for a techno-economic study of low-carbon electrolytic hydrogen production. Apply.
- Jobs: MIT Solve is hiring for a wide variety of positions, from entry-level to leadership, as it expands its operations to offer seed funding and support to high-impact innovations on major social and environmental problems around the world. Learn more.
- Job: The Council on the Uncertain Human Future, housed at Clark University, is seeking a Senior Associate Director to support its growing network around deep intentional conversations reckoning with the climate crisis. Apply.
- Jobs: The Better Future Project is hiring a Development Manager/Director and Operations Manager/Director to support a variety of climate advocacy projects in Massachusetts. Apply.
- Jobs: Greentown Labs, a clean tech incubator in Somerville, Massachusetts, is hiring a Chief Financial Officer, Safety and Operations Manager, and Executive Communications Coordinator.
- Postdoctoral Fellowships: The Tufts University Climate Policy Lab is hiring postdocs in energy R&D, climate finance, sustainable development in water and food systems, and more. Learn more.
- Job: Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service is hiring a tenure-track assistant professor of climate science, impacts and security. Apply.
- Job: WBUR, a Boston public radio station, is hiring an assistant managing editor for climate and the environment. Apply.
- Job: Eunomia is hiring an entry-level Environmental Trainee Consultant advising clients on waste, circular economy and resource management projects. Learn more.
- Job: Dartmouth's Irving Institute for Energy & Society is hiring an Undergraduate Education and Internship Coordinator to develop and implement undergraduate programming in energy and society. Learn more.
- Job: The City of Somerville is hiring a Sustainability/Environmental Community Engagement Specialist to design and execute campaigns that help make Somerville an equitable, resilient and carbon-neutral city. Apply.
- Jobs: The City of Boston is hiring two Project Managers for its Climate and Environmental Planning Team. Apply.
- Internship: Walden Local is seeking MIT students to intern over this winter's IAP period, implementing an inventory-tracking system for connecting consumers with sustainable farms practicing regenerative agriculture. Apply through Handshake.
- Internship: Transsolar is seeking MIT students to intern over this winter's IAP period, working on a variety of research projects to support energy and climate design in architecture and construction. Apply through Handshake.
- Internship: Hodge WaterResources is seeking MIT students to intern over this winter's IAP period, developing a Python-based user interface for working with numerical models in the field of water resources. Apply through Handshake.
Grants, Scholarships, Contests and Funding Opportunities
- IAP Fellowships: The MIT PKG Center is accepting applications from all MIT students to become PKG Fellows this IAP period. PKG Fellows receive $2500 for living and travel expenses, to allow them to accept unpaid work opportunities in public service, either piloting their own ideas or in collaboration with a community partner or service agency. Apply by October 20.
- Contest: The Global Change Award is accepting applications from teams with ideas for creating a sustainable fashion future. Winners will share in a €1 million grant and join a one-year GCA Impact Accelerator to scale up their ideas. Learn more and apply by October 20.
- Research Fellowship: The MIT Center for International Studies will award six MIT students, undergraduate or graduate, a $2000 fellowship for research projects at the intersection of human rights and technology. Learn how to apply by October 25.
- Contest: The Urban Water Challenge will provide deployment grants of up to $100,000 to entrepreneurs with tech solutions for water sustainability in coastal cities. Learn more and apply by October 27.
- Grant: The MIT Sloan Latin America Office is offering researchers at MIT seed grants of up to $25,000 for research projects conducted on or in Latin America and/or in collaboration with Latin American institutions. Check out last year's winners and contact Lee Ullmann to apply by October 29.
- Conference Presentation: The MIT Water Summit is inviting participants to showcase water research and solutions for coastal cities and ecosystems at the event's poster session. Apply to present by October 31.
- Contest: Conservation X Lab has opened its Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge: The Amazon, offering a total of $1 million in prizes to teams developing solutions to address the environmental and social costs of small-scale gold mining in the Amazon. Apply by November 1.
- Contest: The Department of Energy has opened the 2022 Geothermal Collegiate Competition, inviting student teams to develop innovative solutions for geothermal energy deployment, with prizes of up to $10,000. Learn more and submit your solution by November 4.
- Contest: Cultivate Tomorrow, a hackathon focused on cellular agriculture, will be held in January 2022. Apply to compete by November 15.
- Contest: The X Prize has opened registrations for the $100 million X Prize for Carbon Removal. In phase 1, up to 15 projects to remove CO2 from the atmosphere (through technology, natural solutions, or hybrid concepts) will receive $1 million each for early demonstrations and advancements. Learn how to apply by December 1.
- Grant: MISTI-Spain is calling for proposals for its INDITEX Circularity Seed Fund, a $30,000 grant for collaborations between MIT groups and research institutions in Spain that advance sustainability in the textiles industry. Apply by December 13.
Volunteer and Student Group Opportunities
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