J-WAFS at MIT

???? MIT students: this could be you! We are just weeks away from the IDEAS social innovation challenge application deadline. IDEAS is MIT's 24-year-old social impact incubator at the PKG Center. Eligible teams should have an idea that addresses a social or environmental challenge. IDEAS Teams benefit from a robust community, mentors, funding, and lifelong skills in systems change, impact measurement, and team dynamics. Apply by November 25th: https://lnkd.in/eYSAAbTh MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program MIT Office of Innovation Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT MIT Venture Mentoring Service MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation MITdesignX MIT Solve MIT D-Lab J-WAFS at MIT

Elsa Olivetti, a professor in the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) and director of MIT’s Decarbonizing Energy and Industry mission, along with recent MIT graduates Basuhi Ravi PhD ’23 and Karan Bhuwalka PhD ’24, discussed the supply chain for nickel and its environmental, economic, and social implications in a recent interview with MIT News. The researchers highlighted the need to address the adverse impacts of nickel extraction, such as water rights conflicts and contamination, as demand for the metal rises in the transition to clean energy. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/etnDuudf

?? Calling all MIT PIs with early-stage projects that have the potential to solve water or food supply challenges for human need. Apply for a 2024 J-WAFS seed grant for funding up to $150K for up to two years. PIs from all MIT schools and departments are eligible. J-WAFS seed grants support innovative MIT research that can affect meaningful, measurable, improvements to humankind’s need for sustainable supplies of water and food. Seed grant proposals should be for new projects that are sufficiently distinct from prior research. We welcome proposals spanning fundamental science, engineering and technology, supply chains, big data, business models, development efforts, economics, climate interactions and impact, urban design, and infrastructure, and more. LOIs are due 5 p.m. ET on Monday, December 9, 2024. Learn more and download the funding announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eavruCRN

MIT Energy Initiative recently released the first episode of the podcast series, “What if it works?” where experts discuss innovative energy solutions for climate change. In this episode, hosts Robert Stoner and Kara Miller make the case for climate optimism. Stoner and Miller demystify the current energy landscape, highlighting actionable steps and existing solutions aimed at addressing the climate crisis and reducing harmful emissions from global energy systems. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eiZgkW9T?

Join us for a night of "Junk" on November 14! Co-hosted by the MIT Museum and Office of Sustainability,?"Junk"?is the November offering of the museum’s popular?After Dark?series. The event celebrates the art and science of junk, featuring Reynaliz Herrera's bicycle rock band Ideas, Not Theories; entrepreneurs creating fashion and design from chopsticks and banana crop waste; and a talk from Peter Mui from Fixit Clinic on designing in durability and mingle with local “Fixit Coaches” in the galleries. Register: https://lnkd.in/ekTJMAEh

Congratulations to J-WAFS spinout hydroGel on this achievement! ??

Calling all MIT climate-oriented students, staff, and faculty! On Wednesday, November 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship will be hosting a matchmaking event specifically focused on opportunities in climate. At the event, founders will be given the opportunity to connect with folks who can support them. Network, connect, and create your next opportunity. You can also register to pitch your idea in 60 seconds, using one slide! Learn more and sign up here: https://lnkd.in/euVUSj3G

The application for the 2025 MIT Water, Food, and Agriculture Innovation Prize (WFA Prize), co-sponsored by J-WAFS, is now open! ? ?? ??????? The WFA Prize is the premier, sustainability-focused event of the MIT Water Club and the MIT Food and Agriculture Club. The prize looks for the most exciting early stage innovations within these spaces! ? ?? Why Apply? Compete for non-dilutive cash prizes from a pool of $50,000+. Exclusive access to a valuable community and mentorship from founders, operators and industry experts to develop your innovation and business! ? ?Who is Eligible? At least one team lead who is a U.S.-based student.? Received less than $100,000 in funding before applying to the Prize. ? ?? Key Dates Application Opens: November 4, 2024 Application Closes: December 15, 2024 Final Pitch Day: April 30, 2025 ? For further information on previous winners, prize structure & dates, and the organizing team please visit: https://lnkd.in/e5azVFDi

The J-WAFS-led Food and Climate Systems Transformation (FACT) Alliance launched the Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a prestigious conference hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation. The Jameel Index is a new framework designed to assess countries' exposure to shocks, including conflict and climate change, in global food trade. Greg Sixt, director of the FACT Alliance, and J-WAFS researcher Professor Kenneth Strzepek presented the framework along with a preliminary version of the index during a breakout session panel. The current version of the Jameel Index draws on current and historical data, but the team will incorporate global change scenarios to assess future vulnerabilities in the coming year. The project is supported by Community Jameel. Congratulations to the Jameel Index team! ?? Read the full announcement and watch a short video for more information here: https://lnkd.in/eeCBxxpz

Scott Odell, a J-WAFS researcher and lead of the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative’s Mining and the Circular Economy program, recently participated in a panel discussion on critical mineral mining governance. The panel addressed both the challenges and opportunities for improvement, particularly in relation to the social and environmental impacts of extraction in the context of the clean energy transition. Odell highlighted findings from his research in Chile, emphasizing how climate change and increased mining activity are leading to conflicts over water resources. His insights are part of his J-WAFS Seed Grant project with John E. Fernández, which examines the effects of the mining industry's expansion of seawater desalination on local Chilean communities. Photo credit: Stockholm University Read the full recap here: https://lnkd.in/eNAJZ8Mr?