Industry sponsored project-based coursework

The industry sponsored project-based coursework programming brings together Yale Engineering students and faculty with partners in industry to provide pedagogical pathways that tackle real-world problems. Sponsors, working closely with faculty, will propose projects to undertake and provide support for teams of engineering students to conceive, design and build innovative solutions.

Please email proposal(s) to Elisabeth Alden at elisabeth.alden@yale.edu and/or contact Elisabeth with any questions regarding this program.

Industry partners may sponsor project-based learning in one of two ways:

Industry-sponsored Capstone Design project

  • A comprehensive, team-based design project that serves as the final academic requirement for undergraduate students in the ABET-accredited degree program.
  • A project designed to mimic a real-world design experience, integrating all aspects of the undergraduate curriculum.
  • A team effort featuring groups of three to four students designing, building, testing, and refining the project during the Fall and first half of the Spring semesters.  

Sponsored capstone projects should:

  • Address a real-world challenge.
  • Involve significant engineering design decisions and encourage creativity.
  • Lead to comprehensive design and development of a functional prototype.
  • Have time requirements for completion that are align with two semesters of coursework.

Industry-sponsored Special project

  • Similar to an Industry-sponsored Capstone Design project, these courses may be one or two semesters in duration and students can be juniors or seniors.

Benefits to Sponsors:

  • Access to fresh ideas and innovation: Yale students are talented, resourceful, and driven to address problems with creative, often overlooked solutions.
  • Engage with talented young engineers: Sponsors have a firsthand look at potential new hires, actively assessings students’ technical and teamwork skills.  Likewise, Yale students become familiar with the sponsoring company.
  • Cost-effective R&D:  Yale students tackle “what if” innovation tasks Sponsors may not have time or resources to perform at a fraction of the cost.
  • Strengthening industry-academic partnerships, enhancing the Sponsor’s visibility in the Yale community.

Role of a Sponsor:

  • Issue “Request for Proposal” (RFP) that allows faculty to develop proposals to work on Sponsor’s project.
  • Cover all expenses for the project and provide a ~$15,000 gift to the department per semester.
  • Provide a point of contact for the project who will meet with the students regularly to answer questions, provide feedback, and oversee progress.
  • Attend the Sponsored Projects Symposium at the end of the Spring semester and act as judge(s) for the group presentations.​

How are Intellectual Property (IP) considerations handled?

  • Sponsor receives a final written report that includes drawings and project results, but not physical prototypes. 
  • Students (and faculty) will sign NDAs, but students will be allowed to cite and describe their work as part of their academic portfolio.
  • Trade secrets and other IP will be omitted from any public presentation of the Capstone project and only included (if necessary) when presenting to Sponsor. Sponsor will be able to vet any public presentations or publications before they are presented or submitted. 

Submit a project idea:

 

Contact Info
 

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Project Information

 

Project topic title (brief but specific):
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Project summary and scope (include background, motivation, and detailed description):
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Design parameters and performance criteria:
Required
Special skills required of students (including cross-disciplinary):
Required
Desired outcomes and deliverables:
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Available provided resources and/or required resources (equipment, materials, and facilities):
Required