Centers and Labs

Centers and Labs

A person carefully uses tools to work with small electronic components and red wires above a clear petri dish, focusing intently on a detailed task in a well-lit workspace.

Centers and labs are the heartbeat of research at the MIT School of Engineering. Ranging from small, close-knit teams tucked into historic campus corridors to large interdisciplinary teams in entire buildings, these centers and labs are where ideas turn into breakthroughs. No matter their size or focus, they share a common purpose: to advance knowledge and make an impact.

Quick Links

Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL)

For more than five decades, the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) has been a global leader in supply chain management – advancing the field through research, education and industry engagement. By bringing together faculty, researchers, students, and corporate partners, MIT CTL transforms real-world challenges into innovative solutions that help organizations and societies thrive. Through its international SCALE Network, the Center extends this mission worldwide, fostering collaboration and amplifying MIT’s impact across every facet of supply chain and logistics.

Educational Programs

MIT CTL
A person sits in a red Volkswagen Beetle driving simulator inside a lab, facing large screens displaying a road with cars ahead; the car is labeled MIT AgeLab Life Tomorrow.
Aerial view of a busy shipping port with stacked colorful cargo containers, cranes, and the city skyline in the background on a clear, sunny day.

Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC)

The MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) brings together experts from across disciplines to address the complex systems that define modern life—from healthcare and energy to infrastructure, the environment, and global development. Integrating engineering and the social sciences, SSRC develops holistic, systems-based approaches to better understand and improve the sociotechnical systems that shape our world.

MIT SSRC

Departmental Labs & Research Groups

Research teams across the School lead dozens of labs where groundbreaking discoveries take shape every day. Visit individual department pages to learn more about their research and impact.

  1. Aeronautics and Astronautics
  2. Biological Engineering
  3. Chemical Engineering
  4. Civil and Environmental Engineering
  5. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  6. Institute for Data, Systems and Society
  7. Institute for Medical Engineering and Science
  8. Materials Science and Engineering
  9. Mechanical Engineering
  10. Nuclear Science and Engineering

MIT Research Labs

Our researchers work across boundaries, collaborating with units throughout the Institute to drive discovery and impact. Many faculty, researchers, and students in the School of Engineering are affiliated with labs based in other MIT schools and offices — including the Schwarzman College of Computing and the Office of the Vice President for Research — strengthening connections that accelerate innovation across disciplines.

Select Labs:

  1. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)
  2. Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS)
  3. Materials Research Laboratory (MRL)
  4. Microsystems Technology Lab (MTL)
  5. MIT-IBM Watson Al Lab
  6. MIT D-Lab
  7. MIT.nano
  8. Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)
Two people work together on complex industrial machinery in a lab setting; one wears a teal shirt and glasses, the other a gray hoodie, as they adjust components and examine equipment closely.
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