How We Work With Partners
"With the energy landscape evolving faster than ever, Exelon is building relationships with top research centers to create an ecosystem for advancing energy technology and ingenuity. This partnership brings together Exelon’s industry and market expertise with Northwestern’s deep research capabilities."
— Chris Crane, Exelon president and CEO
At the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy, the development of formal strategic alliances with corporate, civic, and not-for-profit partners is a fundamental operating principle. By leveraging shared expertise and resources across disciplines and locations, the Institute and its partners are able to discover, develop, and deploy sustainability and energy related solutions more quickly and with transformative impacts.
Through an alliance relationship management process, the Institute acts on behalf of Northwestern at-large to connect our partners to the rich ecosystem of intellectual and human capital across the University including business, law, science, policy, engineering, and public health. In addition to connecting academic resources, the Institute works closely with University offices of Corporate Engagement, Foundation Relations, Alumni Relations, and many others to seamlessly leverage administrative support for our collaborative projects. The Institute is committed to growing and expanding partnerships that have both local and global impact.
Our featured partners include:
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Chicago Botanic Garden
- Commonwealth Edison (ComEd)
- Exelon
- Schneider Electric
- The Nature Conservancy
- Wanxiang America
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Frequently Asked Questions — Partnering with the Institute
Housed within the University's Office for Research, the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy advances global sustainability and energy solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement. The Institute builds on Northwestern’s culture of multidisciplinary team science with a strategic focus on our core research areas and programs including: solar electricity and fuels, climate and carbon science, catalysis and green chemistry, water, sustainable materials, and resilient communities.
As the designated University-wide sustainability and energy institute, the Institute is ideally positioned to connect external partners with Northwestern experts across chemistry, law, business, materials science, engineering, communications, public health, climate/carbon science, economics, and much more. From multi-year faculty research projects that utilize our customizable Flex Lab research facility to international internships for students, the Institute is well-equipped to connect the strategic priorities of the University with those of our partners. Housed within Northwestern’s Office for Research, we work with University offices of Corporate Engagement, Foundation Relations, Alumni Relations, and many others to seamlessly leverage resources in support of our collaborative projects. The Institute's growing global network of faculty, students, alumni, and partners span a wide variety of industries and academic fields. By sharing expertise and resources with our collaborators, all parties are better equipped to discover sustainability and energy solutions, generate greater impact, and operate at a pace beyond what any single entity could accomplish alone.
The Institute collaborates with a wide variety of organizations from across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Strategic alliances require joint leadership and resource commitment for in-depth collaboration across domains for research, education, and stakeholder engagement aligned with our mission.
The Institute’s partnerships span a wide variety of topic areas, geographical regions, and industries. Each partnership is unique and examples of projects include, but are not limited to, the following: joint research funding and collaboration, research/teaching fellowships, speaking engagements, research exchange and funded projects in the Institute's Flex Lab research facility, graduate/undergraduate student internships, embedded journalist reporting, Executive Council membership, educational opportunities/study, and more.
If your organization is interested in partnering with the Institute, please contact:
Demetria Giannisis
Managing Director
demetria.giannisis@northwestern.edu