For Policymakers:
In accord with MIT’s mission, we try to bring knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges.
MIT believes in offering practical ideas that can help the U.S. and the world. To that end, we also believe that the future prosperity and security of the country depend on investments in science and technology. In this section of the website you can learn more about the Institute’s policy stances, as well as about the latest policy ideas that faculty members are working on.
For Policymakers
We work directly with policymakers to provide ideas that can help address pressing issues. This type of engagement can take many forms: Sharing white papers and research documents that support informed decision-making. Connecting policymakers to leading scientists and engineers who have innovative ideas that can help shape policy. Helping to arrange expert testimony from leading thinkers across a diverse range of disciplines – from economics to computer science.
If you want to know more about our community’s expertise or MIT’s stances on issues of interest, please contact the MIT Washington Office.
Policy Perspectives
For each of these complex and timely policy matters, we offer here the perspectives of MIT and the MIT community. For each topic area, official institutional stances are reflected in the section titled “MIT’s Positions.” The thoughts, perspectives and recommendations of our faculty members can be found under each topic area in the “Faculty Ideas” section. This is just a sampling of issues and MIT faculty expertise; please contact the MIT Washington Office for further information on these and any other issues.
-
Climate & Energy
MIT is committed to addressing climate change – on its campus, in the U.S. and in the world. MIT has numerous programs devoted to developing technical and policy solutions to the climate challenge.
-
China/Research Security
MIT takes seriously concerns about China’s efforts to capitalize on U.S. research, and about its human rights record. At the same time, MIT believes it is in the best interest of the United States to attract top talent from around the world. MIT has put in place policies – and advocated for federal policies – that strike a balance between protecting U.S. research and enabling the U.S. to benefit from productive collaborations and foreign talent.
-
Health and the Bioeconomy
MIT is a leader in health and biomedical research, and is especially known for pushing interdisciplinary approaches that bring biomedicine together with computation, engineering and other fields of science. MIT supported the creation of ARPA-H.
-
Artificial Intelligence
The Schwarzman College of Computing at MIT is dedicated to improving artificial intelligence and applying it to a wide range of fields, as well as to dealing with its policy implications.
-
Work of the Future
The Work of the Future project looked at how technology will likely affect work and workers – and how to ensure that the impacts are positive. The project drew on faculty from across the Institute in fields from economics to engineering to produce working papers, an interim report, and a final report and book that offer analyses and policy recommendations.
-
Research Funding & Innovation
MIT believes that strong federal funding for research is critical for U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. MIT was an early and active supporter of what became the “CHIPS and Science Act.”