Workplace & Commuting

SRI is a "Best Workplace for Commuters"

For its commitment in supporting staff members who choose public or carpool transportation, SRI was once again recognized as a "Best Workplace for Commuters" for 2010. SRI was also selected as a Bronze Winner in the 2006 Race to Excellence, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Best Workplaces for Commuters (SM) program. SRI subsidizes staff's use of public transportation and has a carpool matching service. SRI also qualified in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

SRI is One of "Silicon Valley's 40 Best Places to Work"

In its November 2006 edition, San Jose Magazine ranks SRI as one of the Valley's 40 best places to work. In selecting SRI, the magazine cited SRI's employee benefits, including tax-free transit assistance, its staff rewards programs, emergency backup childcare program, employee art exhibitions, and our involvement with local schools and our local communities.  Interested in working at SRI? Check out our career opportunities.

SRI Ranks as a Best Place to Work in the San Francisco Bay Area
In 2006, for the third straight year, SRI has ranked as one of the top places to work in the Greater Bay Area, in rankings sponsored by the San Francisco Business Times, East Bay Business Times, and Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. The award is based on an employee survey on key areas such as communication within the company, work environment, compensation and benefits, promotions, and recognition.

Education

SRI Hosts Cafe Scientifique—A Monthly Science Forum Open to the Public

SRI is host to Café Scientifique Silicon Valley, an informal gathering that brings cutting-edge and topical science to members of the community. All meetings are free and open to the public. Events are held in SRI's International Building at 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park, CA, on the second Tuesday of most months (driving directions).  Visit the Café website for more information and to sign up for email reminders of upcoming events.

ATOM Science Club Visits SRI's "Big Dish"

On July 15, 2010, SRI's Michael Cousins, Kyle Leveque, and Bryan Klofas hosted the Adventures Through Open Minds (ATOM) Science Club of San Mateo, CA at SRI's 150-foot radio reflector antenna, known as "The Big Dish", in the hills above Stanford University. Students in this summer science camp program learned how the Dish operates and how it coordinates with their studies of rockets, spacecraft, the sun, the solar wind, electromagnetics, and related topics. SRI's goal was to reinforce the science club's learnings and to inspire the students to become scientists and engineers of the future.

Tech Museum of Innovation Field Trips for Students
SRI is a sponsor of The Tech Museum's Field Trip Opportunities program for Title 1 schools. The program makes it possible for students to visit The Tech for free and to benefit from science, technology, and engineering education. The field trip program focuses on under-served, economically disadvantaged, and under-performing schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Title 1 schools receive federal funding to improve academic achievement. SRI's sponsorship funds museum admission, viewing of an IMAX film related to the science curriculum, 90-minute hands-on engineering and science labs for 112 students, and teacher materials and coursework support.

Continuing Sponsorship of Student Roboticists

SRI sponsors student robotics teams, which learn to solve real-world engineering challenges and develop teamwork and project management skills. For example, SRI is an ongoing sponsor of the Aragon High School Robotics Team in its bid to compete in the U.S. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition. 

An SRI-sponsored team of girls aged 10-13 won the Judges' Award at the FIRST LEGO League robotics competition. SRI has also sponsored local high school teams in recent years, including Hillsdale, Menlo-Atherton, Gunn, Palo Alto, Woodside, Castilleja, and Carlmont, who compete in the annual Silicon Valley Botball Robot Tournament.

Research Experience for Undergraduates

Outstanding undergraduate students join SRI's Molecular Physics Laboratory each summer through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program of the National Science Foundation. The Lab has hosted students for 15 years. Students come from physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and engineering programs from schools across the country.

SRI Supports the Computer History Museum

SRI is a corporate supporter and member of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California and has donated several artifacts to the Museum, including Shakey the robot, a prototype of an early computer mouse, and a one-of-a-kind all-magnetic logic computer. SRI is an ongoing sponsor of the Museum's Fellows Awards program, which in 2005 honored SRI alumnus Doug Engelbart, inventor of the computer mouse and other foundations of personal computing. In 2006, SRI celebrated its 60th anniversary with a special event at the Museum. In 2007, SRI sponsored a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first three-network connection, in which SRI played a major role.

Connecting with Local Teachers

SRI contributes to local education through a partnership with Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME). The goal is to provide teachers with hands-on, practical experiences to broaden their perspectives, while SRI gains valuable assistance from a knowledgeable, seasoned educator.

Volunteer Opportunities

Bay Area Twins Needed for the Twin Research Registry™ at SRI International

Are you a twin, or do you know any twins? You can help researchers advance science! The Twin Research Registry™ at SRI International seeks healthy fraternal and identical twins, for a study on flu vaccination, in these age groups:

- 8-17 identical twins only (Parent or guardian approval required)
- 18-30 fraternal and identical
- 40-59 fraternal and identical
- 70-100 identical twins only

This year's vaccine covers both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu. The study is led by Stanford University and is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Study volunteers will receive a free flu shot at Stanford and will be required to return to Stanford for up to three follow-up visits. Only twins who did not participate in last year's study are eligible to join. If you volunteered last year we thank you for your contribution. All other twins, please contact the Twin Research Registry at SRI International. The goal of this study is to help scientists develop more effective vaccines. All information is kept strictly confidential and compensation will be provided.

By joining the Twin Research Registry at SRI International you will also have the opportunity to participate in other studies and receive periodic newsletters. Call 1-800-SRI-TWIN or e-mail us at sri.twin@sri.com. Adults can also register via the website. Twins and multiples are uniquely valuable to research on the balance between genetics and environment, and their impact on health.

SRI's Policy Division oversees major health and education studies and often needs research subjects from the local area (volunteer and paid). Visit our web pages on a regular basis to learn about current and future opportunities.

Community Teaming Day

SRI staff members volunteer for community programs and activities such as YES Reading, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth, and Stanford Blood Center. At an annual springtime SRI event, staff at large learn about volunteer opportunities from their co-workers and leaders of community organizations. At the event, staff members donate nonperishable food to the Second Harvest Food Bank, clothing, videotapes, small household items, etc. to Pick of the Litter (an organization whose goal is to save the lives of unwanted, abandoned animals) and books to the Foundation & Friends of the Santa Clara City Library.

Stanford University Blood Drives

Acknowledging the great demand for blood donations and the short supply of donations, SRI encourages staff to donate blood to Stanford Blood Drives.  Blood drives are held every two months and about 30-40 staff contribute each time.

Support for Public Broadcasting

In support of KQED public broadcasting in the San Francisco Bay Area, SRI volunteers help with fund raising efforts every year, by answering incoming pledge calls. SRI has also underwritten programming on KQED 88.5 FM radio and at other NPR affiliate stations.

Health & Human Services

SRI Aids Disaster Relief in Haiti
SRI joined the many organizations and individuals participating in the humanitarian relief effort following the disastrous 2010 earthquake in Haiti by donating to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. We hope our contribution will add to the extraordinary resources required for the people of Haiti to rebuild their communities and lives.

Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society

Every year SRI International sponsors the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life Menlo Park. In 2009, 20 teams participated, including teams from Morgan Stanley, Menlo College, Sacred Heart School, Menlo Park Police, and the Menlo-Atherton High School Key Club. The SRI team has raised more than $4,600. 

The Relay helps the American Cancer Society fund programs that provide cancer patients with transportation and logistics assistance, such as Road to Recovery, as well as emotional support such as Reach to Recovery® for women and Man to Man®.

Aquathon
Teams from all over the San Francisco Bay Area, including SRI, compete annually in the Corporate Challenge Aquathon, sponsored by abilities united (formerly CAR), an organization that assists infants, children, and adults with developmental disabilities.

At the 2009 Aquathon, swimmers and their supporters raised $190,000, which will positively impact the lives of thousands of individuals in the Bay Area with disabilities.

SRI Supports Wounded Warrior Project

On February 28, 2010, Marc Reed, a research engineer at SRI St. Petersburg and a serious runner, ran the Gasparilla Marathon in team with disabled Marine veteran Patrick Webster. Marc, along with 2009 Ms. Florida, Juli Goldstein, ran the 26.2 miles while pushing Patrick's wheelchair. WFLA-TV NewsChannel 8 Tampa interviewed Patrick.

This is the second year Marc participates in the Tampa Marathon to raise funds and awareness for the Armed Forces Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), as part of the Wheelchairs for Warriors initiative. The WWP helps severely disabled veterans stay active and participate in sporting events they are no longer able to join on their own. SRI hopes that Reed's ongoing efforts to secure the money to purchase these special wheelchairs — and for running the race in team with disabled veterans— will inspire other athletes to pair up with wounded veterans in other sporting events, and allow disabled veterans to live with improved mobility.

One Warm Coat

Every Winter, SRI participates in One Warm Coat, a national effort to provide any person in need with a warm coat, free of charge. SRI staff members are continuing to donate coats for those in need.

Holiday Giving
Every holiday season, SRI staff members donate to the Second Harvest Food Bank. SRI has also supported the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula and Peninsula Volunteers, which provides services to senior citizens. Staff help make wishes come true by donating gifts for the Family Giving Tree.

Environment

SRI State College Wins "Waste Watcher" Award

SRI's State College, Pennsylvania facility was recognized in 2008 for its outstanding recycling program by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, and the Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America. SRI staff members in State College recycle cans, glass, cardboard, and plastic bottles and bags. Paper is shredded and sent to a local recycling center for area farms to spread on their fields, and food scraps are collected for composting.

Planting Trees in Menlo Park

SRI supports Trees for Menlo, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to planting trees in the city of Menlo Park, CA.

Civic Activities

SRI Wins Award from Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce

In recognition of SRI's innovations that are part of everyday life, SRI was honored in 2006 with a Golden Acorn Award from the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce. SRI was the first organization to win in a new category, Innovation and Technology Advancement.  The civic Golden Acorn Awards are given annually to recognize community service and business excellence in the city.