diff --git a/src/autora/state.py b/src/autora/state.py
index 4de7e8a7..fdb8f4be 100644
--- a/src/autora/state.py
+++ b/src/autora/state.py
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ def _append(a: List[T], b: T) -> List[T]:
     return a + [b]
 
 
-def inputs_from_state(f):
+def inputs_from_state(f, input_mapping: Dict = {}):
     """Decorator to make target `f` into a function on a `State` and `**kwargs`.
 
     This wrapper makes it easier to pass arguments to a function from a State.
@@ -732,6 +732,7 @@ def inputs_from_state(f):
     Args:
         f: a function with arguments that could be fields on a `State`
             and that returns a `Delta`.
+        input_mapping: a dict that maps the input arguments of the function to the state fields
 
     Returns: a version of `f` which takes and returns `State` objects.
 
@@ -758,6 +759,22 @@ def inputs_from_state(f):
         >>> experimentalist(U(conditions=[101,102,103,104]))
         [111, 112, 113, 114]
 
+        If our function uses a different keyword argument than the state field, we can use
+        the input mapping:
+        >>> def experimentalist_(X):
+        ...     new_conditions = [x + 10 for x in X]
+        ...     return new_conditions
+        >>> experimentalist_on_state = inputs_from_state(experimentalist_, {'X': 'conditions'})
+        >>> experimentalist_on_state(U(conditions=[1,2,3,4]))
+        [11, 12, 13, 14]
+
+        Both also work with the `State` as UserDict. Here, we use the StandardState
+        >>> experimentalist(StandardState(conditions=[1, 2, 3, 4]))
+        [11, 12, 13, 14]
+
+        >>> experimentalist_on_state(StandardState(conditions=[1, 2, 3, 4]))
+        [11, 12, 13, 14]
+
         A dictionary can be returned and used:
         >>> @inputs_from_state
         ... def returns_a_dictionary(conditions):
@@ -831,6 +848,14 @@ def inputs_from_state(f):
         >>> experimentalist(U(conditions=[1,2,3,4]), offset=2)
         [3, 4, 5, 6]
 
+        The same is true, if we don't provide a mapping for arguments:
+        >>> def experimentalist_(X, offset):
+        ...     new_conditions = [x + offset for x in X]
+        ...     return new_conditions
+        >>> experimentalist_on_state = inputs_from_state(experimentalist_, {'X': 'conditions'})
+        >>> experimentalist_on_state(StandardState(conditions=[1,2,3,4]), offset=2)
+        [3, 4, 5, 6]
+
         The state itself is passed through if the inner function requests the `state`:
         >>> @inputs_from_state
         ... def function_which_needs_whole_state(state, conditions):
@@ -843,7 +868,16 @@ def inputs_from_state(f):
 
     """
     # Get the set of parameter names from function f's signature
+
+    reversed_mapping = {v: k for k, v in input_mapping.items()}
+
     parameters_ = set(inspect.signature(f).parameters.keys())
+    missing_func_params = set(input_mapping.keys()).difference(parameters_)
+    if missing_func_params:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"The following keys in input_state_mapping are not parameters of the function: "
+            f"{missing_func_params}"
+        )
 
     @wraps(f)
     def _f(state_: S, /, **kwargs) -> S:
@@ -853,9 +887,21 @@ def _f(state_: S, /, **kwargs) -> S:
         if is_dataclass(state_):
             from_state = parameters_.intersection({i.name for i in fields(state_)})
             arguments_from_state = {k: getattr(state_, k) for k in from_state}
+            from_state_input_mapping = {
+                reversed_mapping.get(f.name, f.name): getattr(state_, f.name)
+                for f in fields(state_)
+                if reversed_mapping.get(f.name, f.name) in parameters_
+            }
+            arguments_from_state.update(from_state_input_mapping)
         elif isinstance(state_, UserDict):
             from_state = parameters_.intersection(set(state_.keys()))
             arguments_from_state = {k: state_[k] for k in from_state}
+            from_state_input_mapping = {
+                reversed_mapping.get(key, key): state_[key]
+                for key in state_.keys()
+                if reversed_mapping.get(key, key) in parameters_
+            }
+            arguments_from_state.update(from_state_input_mapping)
         if "state" in parameters_:
             arguments_from_state["state"] = state_
         arguments = dict(arguments_from_state, **kwargs)
@@ -1134,7 +1180,9 @@ def _f(state_: S, **kwargs) -> S:
 
 
 def on_state(
-    function: Optional[Callable] = None, output: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None
+    function: Optional[Callable] = None,
+    input_mapping: Dict = {},
+    output: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None,
 ):
     """Decorator (factory) to make target `function` into a function on a `State` and `**kwargs`.
 
@@ -1143,6 +1191,7 @@ def on_state(
     Args:
         function: the function to be wrapped
         output: list specifying State field names for the return values of `function`
+        input_mapping: a dict that maps the keywords of the functions to the state fields
 
     Returns:
 
@@ -1193,13 +1242,26 @@ def on_state(
         >>> add_six(W(conditions=[1, 2, 3, 4]))
         W(conditions=[7, 8, 9, 10])
 
+        You can also declare an input-to-output mapping if the keyword arguments of the functions
+        don't match the state fields:
+        >>> @on_state(input_mapping={'X': 'conditions'}, output=["conditions"])
+        ... def add_six(X):
+        ...     return [x + 6 for x in X]
+
+        >>> add_six(W(conditions=[1, 2, 3, 4]))
+        W(conditions=[7, 8, 9, 10])
+
+        This also works on the StandardState or other States that are defined as UserDicts:
+        >>> add_six(StandardState(conditions=[1, 2, 3,4])).conditions
+        [7, 8, 9, 10]
+
     """
 
     def decorator(f):
         f_ = f
         if output is not None:
             f_ = outputs_to_delta(*output)(f_)
-        f_ = inputs_from_state(f_)
+        f_ = inputs_from_state(f_, input_mapping)
         f_ = delta_to_state(f_)
         return f_