Harnessing the power of MIT alumni 2016

Overview

Question: What is the most effective thing that MIT alumni can do to help implement the MIT Plan for Action on Climate Change?
Submit proposals: https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1303301
Rules: All entrants must agree to the 2015 Contest Rules. and Terms of Use.
Deadline: Friday, Jan 29, 2016 at 17:59:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Judging Criteria & Prizes: See below.

Background

MIT believes that a key to solving the climate change problem is to engage all sectors of society—governments, businesses, non-profits, philanthropists, and many others.  As a first step in this broad engagement process, this contest focuses on a group that is very close to MIT:  its global alumni network.  This remarkable community of 130,000 people represents an exceptional untapped resource for addressing climate change. This contest seeks proposals for how this community can help implement MIT’s Plan for Action on Climate Change.  Authors of winning proposals will be invited to present their ideas at a conference at MIT, and we will work with the MIT Alumni Association to share the ideas widely in the MIT alumni community.

Who can participate?

We invite the global public – whether or not they are MIT alumni – to contribute ideas to this contest, as well as support and comment on proposals.

What kinds of proposals are being sought?

This contest seeks ideas for any ways MIT alumni can play a meaningful role in implementing different aspects of MIT's plan for action on climate change.  For instance, in addition to their lives as consumers and citizens, many MIT alumni play important roles in businesses, governments, and other organizations throughout our global society.  How can MIT alumni – as individuals, regional groups, sector groups, or as a whole – help solve the problems of climate change?

Proposals can be at any stage of development:

• Well thought-out ideas that still require additional research or planning
• Comprehensive strategies that are ready for implementation
• Initiatives that have already achieved success in another realm and are ready to be implemented in this realm

You are welcome to enter proposals in an early stage of development—even just a simple idea.  Then others can comment on the proposal, and some may join the proposal team to help develop it further.
 

Judging Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated according to how well the proposal offers an actionable idea about how MIT alumni can help implement the MIT plan for action on climate change.  Judges will consider how feasible and novel the proposal is, as well as how much impact it could have and how well it is presented. For instance, proposals that describe credible details of how the idea can be implemented will be judged as more feasible, and those that explicitly describe (or quantify) the potential impacts will likely be judged as more impactful.  Winning proposals will be especially strong in at least one of the first three dimensions (feasibility, novelty, and impact), and also well presented.  For more details about the judging criteria, click here.
 

Prizes

Both Judges’ and Popular Choice winners will be invited to present their ideas in a conference at MIT.  The MIT Alumni Association will also share the ideas widely in the MIT alumni community.
 

Resources for Proposal Authors

MIT Plan for Action on Climate Change:  http://climateaction.mit.edu/

Photo:  Class of 1992 photo at Reunions 2007.  Credit: Justin Knight.