EcoRAMP Position - [PI-0116-Fletcher-1]
Applications are open until the due date: 9:00 AM PST December 1, 2025 for Winter Quarter
The Ecopreneurial Research for Accelerating Market Pathways (EcoRAMP) program offers an experiential learning opportunity for Stanford undergraduates to work with a research team on an active Sustainability Accelerator project. Throughout the engagement, the student will learn about both the development of sustainable solutions and the approaches for their externalization for real-world impact. At the end of the quarter, the student will deliver a short presentation highlighting their key learnings. This program is funded by Stanford Ecopreneurship and the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator.
Project Tagline: Scaling and Commercializing an Adaptive Drought Planning Tool (PLAN Water)
Primary Mentor(s): Sarah Fletcher, Meagan Mauter, Gina Kittleson
Project Overview:
PLAN Water (PLanning Adaptive Non-traditional Waters) is a tool developed by Stanford graduate students that leverages optimization techniques to create a flowchart of decisions for a water resources infrastructure planner to follow during any future drought. This project is focused on developing a plan for the scaling and commercialization of PLAN Water. Our goal is to get PLAN Water out of academia and into the hands of planners so we can prevent cities from running out of water and keep the cost of drought preparedness as low as possible.
The EcoRAMP Student Will Do:
Based on the applicants' skills and interests, they will:
● Attend stakeholder interviews with a graduate student mentor and conduct stakeholder interviews to discuss tool needs and externalization strategies
● Assist in the compilation of stakeholder interview findings
● Develop 1-3 promising commercialization pathways based on stakeholder interviews and market research, assessing:
○ Product market fit
○ Competition
○ Potential for vertical integration
○ Use-case of the tool
○ Willingness to pay
○ Value proposition
○ Target customer base
The EcoRAMP Student Will Learn:
● How optimization is used in the water resources planning field to reduce cost and ensure robustness to climate change
● How government planners and consultants work together to plan our water resources
● California water resources planning characteristics
● How computational tools are scaled beyond academia into government and industry applications
● How to assess a commercialization pathway
● How to synthesize qualitative takeaways from interviews into quantitative findings
● How infrastructure is funded in the United States
Qualifications/Skills Required:
● Research and analytical skills
● Interest in water resources planning, climate change, or technology policy
● Experience or coursework in public policy, business, economics, civil and environmental engineering, or environmental science ● Ability to conduct professional interviews or market analysis
● Basic knowledge of the water utility sector is a plus.
● Ability to work independently under faculty guidance and attention to detail
Time Commitment and Compensation:
- By participating in EcoRAMP, you commit 10 hours per week per quarter. We are looking for anticipated engagement across multiple quarters through Spring 2026.
- The student will receive a $2,000 stipend per quarter. Please note: stipends, prizes, or awards to students who are receiving other forms of financial aid for any purpose are a form of financial assistance and may require adjustment to your scholarship eligibility and /or adjustment to your overall cost of attendance. The Financial Aid Office has the responsibility to determine if these funds can be applied to meet your Student Responsibility and if other adjustments are necessary. Please contact the Financial Aid office before applying to ensure you are fully informed before making any decisions about your experiential learning opportunity.
Eligibility:
- Stanford Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are eligible for this position. Note: co-terms who are in their first 4 years or 12 quarters of attendance and have not conferred their undergraduate degree are considered undergraduate students and are eligible for this position.