What is the TFSA Program?

The Thermal & Fluid Sciences Affiliates Program (TFSA) is the industrial liaison program of the Thermosciences Group and Flow Physics and Computation Group of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stanford University. The program was started over 30 years ago to establish and maintain close ties between the Stanford faculty and engineers in industry.

The program is administered at the faculty level and emphasizes person-to-person communications between the Stanford faculty and the industrial representatives.

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Why become an Affiliate

• Affiliates access the results of Stanford research prior to any mailing or publication giving a 6 month or 1 year advantage.
• A Stanford liaison person acts as an interpreter and guide to the work and can ensure that new work is properly implemented in your company.
• Direct access to Stanford faculty expertise and experience, to discuss a new idea, ask about a new process, or to discuss a puzzling situation.
• Affiliates can send two representatives to the annual affiliates conference where they will hear the current status of all research presented by postdoctoral scholars, faculty and graduate students.
• Facilitation of professional recruiting. Familiarity with our masters candidates and doctoral candidates will make it easier to identify the Stanford students and postdoctoral research staff best suited for the tasks at hand in your company, enabling your hiring decisions to be more solidly based.
• Influence the course of future research at Stanford. Awareness and understanding of your problems will grow with continued conta ct. When faculty understands the problems you face, those problems may become candidates for future research.

How to become an Affiliate

To get your engineers and Stanford's faculty working together on a first name basis:

• Send your expression of interest to cbarkow@stanford.edu
• Complete an Affiliate Agreement and pay $30,000 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).