Are we entitled to faculty visits to our company?
We seek to send faculty to visit member companies when their
own travel schedules bring them near your location. In such cases if
there is interest the faculty member would meet with representatives
of your company and perhaps give a seminar for your technical or
management staff. There is no added charge for this service.
While we cannot guarantee that a particular faculty member will be
able to visit your firm, should you wish to build into your
membership plan for the year one or more visits by faculty members,
this can be done. An additional fee will be charged in that case
since we will be asking faculty members to do more than their regular
travel.
Does a company have to stay in ILP if, after a few years, it finds what it wants at MIT?
No, there is no continuing obligation to remain in the ILP.
However, many firms find that they prefer to maintain the broad
perspective they gain through the ILP and the personal interface
provided by their Industrial Liaison Officer rather than focus solely
on a narrow research area. Technology of potential impact to your
business can come from many sources. We work to introduce you to new
people and new research activities of potential interest on an
ongoing basis.
Can we join for one year?
We prefer a two-year commitment to membership since the full
value of participation may not be fully appreciated without a longer
engagement. However, if this is an impediment to your initiating
membership, we can honor a one-year initial term, renewable annually.
Why should I pay an ILP fee to contact faculty? Can't I just contact faculty directly?
You can contact faculty directly on your own. The value of
the ILP lies in locating the right faculty members (including some
you might not know of), working from inside the MIT community to
achieve mutually beneficial results and therefore being more likely
to gain an audience with the faculty members, functioning as an
advocate of the company, and providing a variety of comprehensive
services.
Faculty, as well as corporate members, generally prefer an
ILP-facilitated visit because:
- The ILP has carefully matched interests and expectations
- The ILP has done the scheduling legwork
- The ILP can assume the burden of follow-up and connecting to other
MIT resources
- The ILP rewards the faculty with a share of the membership fees
- ILP member companies tend to know MIT better and can be easier to work with
- The Industrial Liaison Officer is available to help during and long after the visit.
How much does ILP membership cost? How does the ILP fee relate to the company's size or activity level in ILP?
The minimum fee is $60,000 annually. There is no initiation
fee. The annual membership fee is determined by the anticipated level
of activity the company has through the Program. Generally, larger
companies, especially those including several divisions, plan greater
interaction with the resources at MIT and pay higher fees.
The fee is determined based on discussions with company
representatives and an activity plan developed with the company based
on their areas of interest and the customized services expected
during the year.
Is my company a member of the ILP? Who do I contact for more information if so?
Check the list of member firms. If your company is a member email us at webadmin@ilp.mit.edu from your company mail account and we will send you authorization and instruction on how to set up your personal account.
Can I talk to someone already in the program about their experiences with ILP?
Often we can arrange for you to talk with a representative of a current member about their views on the ILP. Ask for a reference.
How do you determine which ILO is assigned my company?
In general we match the background and experience of the Officer to the company by industry.
What are the qualifications to be an ILO?
Most Officers have technical and business degrees. Many studied at MIT. Many have experience in industry, which aids their understanding of your business and challenges. Our staff is highly experienced and eager to work with you to help you achieve your goals.
How can we be assured that proprietary company information remains confidential?
Usually proprietary information is not discussed in ILP meetings with faculty members. Should you find that sharing some confidential data would take the conversation in a more beneficial direction, you can preface it with the request to maintain it as private.
If you hire an MIT faculty member as a consultant, he or she will
then sign a confidentiality agreement with your firm.
Many of our people don't speak English very well. Will they be able to get anything from MIT?
The ILP conferences allow corporate representatives to learn about research under way at MIT. Attending these meetings or reviewing presentations in our Digital Archive can provide your staff valuable exposure to new ideas. They can also explore the KnowledgeBase at their own pace.
How can we maximize our benefits from the program?
To gain maximum value from your membership, designate a key corporate representative to be the counterpart of your Industrial Liaison Officer. Share with your ILO the goals the company has for its relationship with MIT. Strategize to develop a plan for your membership that will achieve your objectives. Include a set of visits to MIT to address issues regarding key technologies. Consider including a private conference/research briefing featuring select faculty members.
Help your key technical staff stay informed about MIT and opportunities available through the ILP. This can be done by reading the Technology Insider/ILP Report and regularly visiting the ILP web site. In your company newsletter you might mention your membership in the ILP.
Manage the plan you have developed. Maintain regular communication with your Industrial Liaison Officer.
|
ILP Home | Contact Us | Site Map | FAQs | Privacy Policy
