SPURS is a non-degree, nine-month program designed for outstanding mid-career professionals from newly industrialized countries. It achieves three main objectives for participants: professional development, academic reorientation, and a deeper understanding of U.S. institutions.

Participants of the Life Economics Lab leadership circle and members of organizations that are part of TEC-T have the opportunity to obtain a ten-month Fellowship at MIT, where they can work on a project within one of its research centers and take graduate-level courses for two semesters.