Research

Research Engagement Models

Stanford SystemX offers two primary models for research collaboration, providing flexibility for companies to engage with Stanford faculty and students in ways that best fit their goals and interests.

By Focus Areas

SystemX defines its research focus areas in alignment with its mission of advancing the full technology stack — from materials and devices to systems and applications. Research is organized into focus areas shaped around industry-relevant themes, each bringing together a group of faculty and students working closely in that domain.

When a company engages with a focus area, it connects with this community, and the Focus Area Lead coordinates the collaboration — helping match projects with the right researchers.

Our focus areas are dynamic, evolving in response to emerging technologies and industry needs. The areas highlighted below represent our current priorities and are refined regularly to reflect both scientific progress and real-world challenges.

By Fellow–Mentor–Advisor (FMA) 

The FMA model (Fellow–Mentor–Advisor) is a cornerstone of SystemX’s approach to university–industry collaboration, continuing a longstanding tradition pioneered at Stanford by the CIS program (SystemX’s predecessor).

In this model:

• a Stanford faculty Advisor provides academic leadership and research expertise,
• a Ph.D. student Fellow interacts closely with the company Mentor throughout the project, and
• an industry Mentor contributes real-world insights and industry perspective.

Together, this three-way partnership enables advanced research in areas of mutual interest while also building strong ties between industry and academia.

SystemX can help member companies establish new FMA collaborations with any Stanford professor whose research falls within our general areas of interest, creating opportunities that both accelerate innovation and cultivate talent.