From nuclear proliferation to climate change, Richard K. Lester taps research talent to map a path toward a sustainable planet.

Faculty leaders highlight innovations that can close longstanding knowledge gaps and reimagine how the world responds to the climate crisis.

MIT scientists hope to deploy a fleet of drones to get a better sense of how much carbon the ocean is absorbing, and how much more it can take.

Faculty leaders describe their efforts to develop potentially game-changing tools.

A new cleaning method could remove dust on solar installations in water-limited regions, improving overall efficiency.

Changes to a key ice flow equation could refine estimates of sea level rise.

The computer-vision technique behind these maps could help avoid contrail production, reducing aviation’s climate impact.

Faculty leaders discuss the opportunities and obstacles in developing, scaling, and implementing their work rapidly.

If wildfires become larger and more frequent, they might stall ozone recovery for years.

A subset of the finalists will be announced as multiyear flagship projects this spring.