As the Resilient Energy Systems (RES) Mission Campaign advances research to support a more secure and adaptable energy future, our principal investigators (PIs) are strengthening more than just their technical capabilities. They are actively developing strategic, communication, and engagement skills that help their projects grow, connect with new partners, and secure long-term impact.
Two RES‑affiliated PIs, Shamina Hossain‑Mackenzie and Jamie Thorpe, have taken part in Sandia’s Strategic Engagement Training (SET) program—an effort designed to help technical staff build stronger relationships with customers, understand stakeholder needs, and shape successful programs. Since 2001, SET has supported more than 1,000 Sandia professionals in developing these essential skills, complementing the lab’s technical excellence with strong strategic engagement.
For Shamina, who completed SET in FY25, the motivation was to better communicate the value of her research. “I wanted to improve communicating the impact and value of our research to a broader audience, from peer researchers to sponsors to industry,” she said. SET’s focus on tailoring value propositions to different stakeholders proved especially useful. She applied these skills directly to her SET project, griDNA, helping her prepare follow‑on proposals and pitch the technology to potential tech transfer partners. She notes that SET has already helped her identify new collaborators, licensing prospects, and funding opportunities—clear benefits to her RES work and to the mission campaign overall.
Jamie Thorpe, the PI for DRE: Designing for Resilience through Emulation, is currently participating in SET and entered the program after encouragement from coworkers and a nomination from her center. Even early in the curriculum, she sees strong relevance to her work. She’s particularly interested in stakeholder characterization and crafting value propositions, areas that previously slowed progress in some of her technical projects. She plans to bring SET tools and worksheets back to her teams to improve alignment and communication. Jamie is already making connections where the skills she is building will help address some problems her team has run into in the past.
These experiences empower PIs to better articulate their impact, connect with diverse partners, and accelerate the progress of their projects. For the RES Mission Campaign, this combination of technical innovation and strategic engagement is essential to advancing meaningful, mission‑driven research.