Clubs and Teams FAQs

Edgerton clubs and teams are primarily for student-led hands-on projects that are sustainable beyond a single undergraduate career at MIT. The Edgerton staff listed here can help you and other students start a team, recruit members, secure a workspace, sign up for shop training, order supplies, and much more. If you’re interested in forming a team under the auspices of the Edgerton Center, fill out the Club and Team Application Form.

While individual support varies with a teams’ needs and resources, the Edgerton Center can help with finding a workspace, tools, and access to a machine shop.

On the administrative side, the Edgerton Center can help members get an MIT Purchasing Card/Credit Card, travel-related assistance, audiovisual equipment, access to Zipcar for local errands, and importantly, guidance and support on the engineering project. Get in touch with Sandi Lipnoski (slipnosk@mit.edu), Administrative Officer at the Edgerton Center, to arrange all of the above.

In exchange for Edgerton funding, teams make presentations to Edgerton Center staff, faculty advisors, and others. This is an opportunity to gain valuable feedback assistance with overall project management. The Edgerton Center will also, on occasion, ask teams for photos, videos, and news items for publication on our website to raise visibility and to help support the program. The president or captain of the team decides what the presentation will be and when to give it, adding a learning value to its preparation.

Yes, we do ask teams to find a faculty supervisor to occasionally meet with and talk about their project. A faculty or staff supervisor can also be an invaluable resource, offering encouragement as well as technical advice and practical guidance. Staff and faculty supervisors can also help clubs and teams to secure connections for their fundraising efforts.

The Edgerton Center maintains the Area 51 CNC Shop in N51. To get access, a group’s members need to consult with Edgerton staff. But in order to use the Edgerton Student Shop. In order to use the Student Shop, each student must perform a 12-hour training with Mark Belanger. However, our Edgerton Student Shop is CLOSED for construction. We anticipate reopening early in the Spring term. Please email the shop manger, Mark Belanger (mdbelang@mit.edu) for alternatives spaces to carry out your work while we are closed.

No, teams do not need to be student organizations recognized by the Association of Student Activities (ASA). The ASA can be helpful for finding additional resources and privileges—such as the ability to reserve rooms through the Campus Activities Complex and to apply for large event funding—but the Edgerton Center can also assist teams in most of these matters.

Space requests are handled on a case-by-case basis and vary based on need and availability.

It’s only a name, but teams may be more likely to enter competitions, while clubs may be more interested in their investigations without the end result of a competition.

Under the right circumstances, yes. During the academic year, it is fairly simple to conduct a project with the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program for credit. To do a UROP in the summer, however, one has to be enrolled during the summer term. UROPs for pay can be done whenever an external funding source can be found to cover the costs. Both the Gordon–MIT Engineering Leadership Program and the UROP office have provided limited funds in this category. If interested in pursuing a UROP for pay, members of teams must consult with Edgerton staff.

Teams receive funds through a combination of interdepartmental sources, such as the Edgerton Center, crowdfunding, sponsorships and individual gifts. Reach out to Peggy Eysenbach, Edgerton Center Development Officer, for fundraising questions. 

A gift is given without expectation of getting something in return. Gifts made through the giving website are tax deductible and acknowledged through Resource Development. Be sure your team is listed on the giving website

Sponsorships are not tax deductible, but receive deliverables/benefits. Sponsorship levels should be transparent on the team’s website. 

Once the sponsorship agreement here is completed and signed by the sponsor, it should be sent to slipnosk@mit.edu to be routed through the Office of General Counsel and the Vice President for Finance for signature. Note: the terms of the sponsorship cannot begin until the form is signed by the Vice President of Finance. 

Approved sponsorship agreements will be returned to you in 1-2 weeks, with an invoice to forward to the sponsor. Payments can be made through wire transfer create a wire transfer noting the team name and cost object as transfer details, which directs the funds to your team account.  Checks may also be accepted and may be sent to the Edgerton Center for deposit. Checks should be made payable MIT and sent to the Edgerton Center with team account allocation. Credit card payments are not an acceptable payment method for sponsorships.

Edgerton Center
Attn:  Marvelin Higginbottom
77 Massachusetts Avenue, 10-115
Cambridge, MA. 02139

In-kind sponsorships may be submitted for consideration if the value is significant, the value of the product of the product/s are significant and catalog or comparative pricing can verify the amount of the sponsored goods. We are unable to approve sponsorships for services provided through a sponsor, as there is not an accurate way to justify the value of their services.

• Edgerton Center's logo or word mark cannot be used in such a way as to imply MIT's endorsement, even if such an endorsement is not the intention of the person or organization seeking to use MIT's name.
• Sponsorships must be compliant with MIT’s use of name policies.
• Sponsors are not allowed to film on campus or to use the MIT name in any marketing, advertising or promotion of the company. 
• Sponsor may not make any press or media announcements concerning this Agreement, or use MIT’s name, trademarks, logos, or insignia, or any version, abbreviation or representation of them, or the name of any of MIT’s trustees, officers, faculty members, students, employees, or agents, in any advertising, publicity, promotional materials or other public announcement without the prior written consent of MIT’s Communications Office, which consent MIT may withhold in its sole discretion.   
• More information on use of MIT name can be found online on the MIT Communications Office website.

If you are planning a trip that takes you outside of the area, send the trip details and kerberos IDs for all MIT students/staff traveling to mayerc@mit.edu. Team members will be required to register in the Atlas Travel Registry when prompted by email.

A team member can apply for a travel credit card via this form.

• Send the completed travel application to slipnosk@mit.edu for approval. 
• Save all credit card receipts in a folder to upload to a travel report in ATLAS after the trip ends
• Trip reports must be completed within 30 days of the trip’s end. Download Concur 2.0 Guide.
• Receipts are required for purchases over $75.00. Food receipts must be detailed and without charges for alcohol, which is restricted on the travel card.

If a receipt is lost, fill out a missing affidavit for charges over $75.00. Select "Non-recoverable" as the expense type.

No. The travel card is used for travel expenses, while a procurement credit card is used for purchasing materials and supplies, even when traveling.  If a procard is unavailable, submit receipts for personal reimbursement through Atlas. MIT’s tax exemption ST-5 is valid in a number of states. Learn more here. 

• Open a travel report in Atlas. ADD Concur 2.0. Upload all travel expense receipts to be reimbursed, following receipt guidelines in the travel card section above.
• Purchases of supplies should be reimbursed through a Request for Payment in Atlas.
• Credit card statements are not proof of payment and food receipts must show the detail of food purchased. 
• Gasoline is only reimbursed when a vehicle is rented. 

• Drivers must complete a Motor Vehicle Registration check (MVR) through MIT Emergency Management Team. Click here to add personal information, which Chris Mayer will submit to the Management Team and notify you when the process is complete.
• Book passenger vehicles through Direct Bill with Chris Mayer mayerc@mit.edu, which avoids vehicle pick up issues at the counter.  Truck rentals will go to an outside rental company, like Herc or U-haul. These options may be discussed with Chris.
• Avis (A12600) and Budget (T420202) have a corporate agreement with MIT
• 18+ drivers are fully covered 
• NO need to pay for additional driver’s or insurance  
• Only members of the MIT community are allowed to drive MIT rented vehicles, unless an MVR check is performed

The use of personal vehicles for long trips is not allowed. Reach out to Chris Mayer for clarification.