UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory: The Perfect Match

What have the Vols been doing for nearly 20 years? Connecting faculty expertise and a world-class research facility for amazing results.

The University of Tennessee manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT–Battelle partnership. When it was established, it was the first of its kind, and #ItJustMeansMore brainpower available to help move the scientific community forward.

Composed of more than 200 faculty members and Oak Ridge staff members, plus an additional 150 students, the laboratory is thriving as it addresses today’s and tomorrow’s most pressing scientific questions.

Our question: What are they working on, exactly? Well, they’re exploring areas like high-performance computing, neutron scattering, nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and materials science.

And speaking of neutron scattering, the laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) — AKA the facility with the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world — is putting the University of Tennessee and the laboratory in a position of global leadership. Neutrons may be confusing to some of us, but having a seat on the world stage is a clear-cut accomplishment. This SNS campus is the top destination in the field, so when scientists want the best of the best in neutron work, they make their way to East Tennessee.

There’s another project at the laboratory that closely follows this world-class technology: the most powerful computer in the world, Summit. It has everything researchers and scientists need to effectively process and understand the massive amounts of data created by the SNS campus.

And beyond the projects themselves are the people. This partnership has enticed some of the most talented faculty in the world to come and teach, research, and live in Tennessee. And their passion for advancing science and technology has, in turn, caught the attention of students looking for national laboratory experience and guidance at a university level.

So there you have it.

A leading university.

A national laboratory.

World-renowned projects.

Top researchers.

And an open door for students pursuing the sciences.

Not to mention, the future is bright for UT-Battelle and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy has extended the partnership contract to 2020. And for the University of Tennessee, #ItJustMeansMore opportunities to use the power of science to transform the world.