Energy and Infrastructure Solutions Lab

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Turn big ideas into real‑world impact

The Energy & Infrastructure Solutions Lab is a year‑long, paid, industry‑integrated experience where interdisciplinary student teams work on real challenges in energy, infrastructure, and sustainability. Students move beyond case studies to develop prototypes, models, and implementation strategies for partner organizations.

The Lab engages partners from utilities, nonprofits, technology companies, and advanced‑materials firms to bring forward challenges such as critical‑materials supply chains, decarbonizing the built environment, wildfire and grid resilience, sustainable computing, low‑carbon fuels, and market‑based carbon removal.

Students selected for the Lab receive internship‑level compensation during the fall implementation phase and develop tangible deliverables—models, pilots, prototypes, or roadmaps—that stand out to employers and funders. They work closely with faculty and practitioners from the Environmental Institute, UVA Innovates, the Office for Sustainability, and schools including Darden, McIntire, Batten, and Engineering.

Solutions Lab teams and challenges for 2026-2027 have been announced. Click on each logo to learn more:

Why join — and who should apply

The Solutions Lab is built for students who want meaningful responsibility and the chance to address real‑world problems. Participants collaborate with external organizations on interdisciplinary challenges while building skills in problem‑solving, venture development, communication, and navigating real constraints.

Students from any school and at any level (undergraduate or graduate) are encouraged to participate. Strong candidates are motivated by applied problem-solving and cross‑disciplinary collaboration. Graduates of the Lab leave with a substantial project for their resume or graduate applications, experience working with partner expectations and timelines, mentorship from leaders in innovation and sustainability, and a durable network across UVA and beyond.

Program structure, timeline, and how to get involved

The Solutions Lab follows a clear, year‑long pathway that takes students from early‑stage ideas to partner‑ready solutions. To get involved, students should start by attending the Design Challenge, then form a cross‑disciplinary team, recruit a faculty sponsor, and submit a project concept during the spring competition cycle.

  • April 6, 2026, Design Challenge: Meet partner organizations, hear real challenge statements, and explore how to make an impact.
     
  • June 15, 2026, Proposal submission: Form interdisciplinary teams (with representation from at least two schools), identify a faculty sponsor, and develop a project concept in greater depth. Proposals should be based on one of the business partner's challenges, listed below in the research areas. Teams submit a formal proposal by the deadline for review. The Solutions Lab Governance Committee selects four to six teams to advance. Teams that advance receive financial support and are automatically enrolled in the fall semester Propel course.
     
  • June to August, Scope refinement: Selected teams work with the program director to refine scope, methods, milestones, and team composition through structured check‑ins with mentors and partner organizations.
     
  • September to December, Paid project + Propel: Teams execute their projects and participate in the Propel course (a non‑credit, project‑based experience focused on innovation methods, venture development, and translating ideas into real‑world deliverables).
     
  • Early December to late January, Pitch: Teams present deliverables in a public pitch event. Strong projects may continue through UVA Innovates, partner pilots, or follow‑on funding opportunities.

Solutions Lab Submissions

Submissions for 2026 are currently closed

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Submissions should address the following:

  • Preliminary team information (names, resume, unofficial transcripts, and faculty sponsor 
  • Specific business challenge, solution, and why it matters 
  • Expected products (examples: prototype, model, novel analysis, or data product)
  • Statement of feasibility & team readiness

Note that if selected for the Solutions Lab, teams will work with program staff to refine their team components and project scope to ensure success, develop deliverables during the fall Propel course, and participate in the partner pitch session. All student awardees will be compensated for their participation. 

Submissions for 2026 are closed

Thanks to these partners:

The Solutions Lab governance team includes:

  • Michael Lenox (Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business at the Darden School)
  • Mark White (Carl P. Zeithaml Bicentennial Associate Professor of Commerce and Director, McIntire Business Institute)
  • Paul Cherukuri (UVA Innovates)
  • Christine Mahoney (Professor and Chief Innovation Officer, Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy)
  • David Lapinski (UVA Career Center)
  • Ethan Heil (UVA’s Office for Sustainability)
  • David Chen (Managing Director, Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research, Professor of Practice, Biomedical Engineering, and Assistant Dean for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Engineering & Applied Science)