CATAPULT

MIT has long excelled at foundational research, technological innovation, and scientific discovery. Yet transforming breakthrough ideas into scalable, real-world solutions requires various applied skills that bridge science, engineering, and management. To help close this translation gap, we propose CATAPULT—a new educational program designed to integrate Sloan’s managerial expertise with domain-specific scientific and engineering strengths found across MIT.

At a time when technological advances in areas such as AI, biotechnology, quantum computing, climate technology, and energy are accelerating rapidly, programs that connect scientific discovery with practical pathways to impact are becoming increasingly important. CATAPULT will provide a pathway for students from across the Institute—particularly those pursuing a PhD in STEM fields—to develop the practical skills needed to translate research discoveries into real-world applications. This educational platform will also facilitate collaboration between students and faculty at Sloan and the rest of MIT.

The MIT Innovation Ecosystem

MIT’s innovation ecosystem is rich with opportunities—from foundational research to startup acceleration. However, there remains a need for structured support in the critical space between scientific discovery and venture creation, where early-stage ideas are transformed into actionable, real-world solutions—the so-called “translation gap.”

CATAPULT is designed to operate in this space, equipping students with the applied skills, frameworks, and cross-disciplinary collaboration needed to move innovations from lab to impact.