DMSE and MRL jointly sponsor a seminar series. A faculty committee The Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Series invites outside speakers to share research, DEI efforts, and innovation/entrepreneurial experiences with MIT's materials research community. The seminar committee consists of chair Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, Rob Macfarlane, and Christine Ortiz, with three DMSE student representatives (current members as of Sept. 2020) invite speakers from other universities and industry to discuss their research and developments in the field; the committee also acts as primary hosts. Each speaker is assigned a faculty host, generally the person who suggested inviting the speaker. The department pays for travel and associated meal costs (in the past, the department provided an honorarium and a gift). Faculty are invited to meet with the speaker on the day of the seminar. Students may also be invited to meet with the speaker. Luncheon and dinner groups are arranged. The event is advertised through the MIT calendar, announcements to email lists, and posters. Coordinate with other DMSE groups to avoid scheduling other events on that day.
The series was budgeted at $25,000/year, with DMSE contributing $15K, and MPC and CMSE each contributing $5K. As of the AY2021, the seminar is not funded.