About

What is the TFSA Program?

The Thermal and Fluid Sciences Industrial Affiliate (TFSA) Program is the industrial liaison of the following research groups in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University:

The program has been running for over 50 years and has established and maintained collaborative research interests between Stanford faculty and engineers across a broad range of industries. The program serves as a two-way conduit for recent research findings and the exploration of industrial problems that motivate and inspire new areas of research. Administered at the faculty level, the program creates an open environment for communication between Stanford and its industry peers.

Member Companies

Affiliate Membership

The TFSA program enables engineers in industry to engage with Stanford faculty. When a company enrolls in the program, we will match your company liaison with a member of Stanford faculty to establish areas of shared interest. Our goal is to create a community of industrial and academic researchers to engage in a forum for cutting edge interdisciplinary pre-competitive research. Benefits include:

Annual company visit by Stanford faculty, and ad hoc visits from research staff and students.
Invitation to the Annual TFSA Affiliate Conference.
Participation by invitation in other Stanford conferences and meetings e.g. The Center for Turbulence Research Summer Program.
Early pre-prints of TFSA’s research publications
Direct line of communication with Stanford faculty to discuss new ideas, problems, or enquire about a new process or area of research.
Exceptional networking opportunities. We can help you find local experts in your areas of research not only within Stanford but in other areas of industry and academia.
An opportunity to recruit from the best and the brightest students in the area of thermal and fluid sciences.
Training sessions in specialized areas of research.
Influence the course of future research at Stanford! Through open discussions with faculty you have the opportunity to provide them with insight into your current research interests or areas of difficulty and help inform their future research goals.
Emails from the Director to keep you up to date with latest research, upcoming events, and any internal updates.

How to Become a Member Company?

To get your engineers to participate in this "many-to-many" arrangement with Stanford’s faculty on a first name basis:

Send your expression of interest to the TFSA Manager, Pamela Nelson Foster, pnelson@stanford.edu.
Complete an Affiliate Agreement and pay $35,000 annually for full benefits.
Name one of your own technical people as the primary contact point within the company.
Choose one member of the faculty as your principal liaison person. (While the choice is primarily up to the sponsor, the faculty person must also agree to the relationship).

PLEASE BE INFORMED: Presentations and all information, data and results arising from the Industrial Affiliate Program will be shared with all members and the public.

For more information about Affiliate Programs at Stanford - Stanford Research Policy Handbook