ORAU partnership
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) was founded in 1946 as the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies following the completion of the Manhattan Project. The original consortium was composed of only 14 universities from the southeastern United States. The name was changed to Oak Ridge Associated Universities in 1966 to reflect the growing role that universities played in the organization. It has since grown to over 100 member institutions.
ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions for the Department of Energy and other federal agencies to advance national priorities in science, health, education and national security. We do this by integrating unique laboratory capabilities, specialized teams of experts and a consortium of more than 100 universities. ORAU also manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which supports government agencies who value an integrated solution incorporating state of the art science and technology in an era of consolidated government contracts requiring research informed delivery of critical services.
In addition to support for government agencies, ORAU provides many opportunities for teachers and students through a variety of fellowships, grants, scholarships, workshops, and joint-faculty appointments. Many of these programs are especially designed for underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in science and engineering fields. Participation and financial support for science education programs now exceeds 8,900 participants and $212 million. The ORAU University Partnerships Office supports new faculty just beginning their careers through the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, individual faculty collaboration with other scientists at member universities and ORNL, and member schools with larger collaborative efforts.
For information about ORAU and its programs, visit www.orau.org, or call the university partnerships office at 865.576.1898.
March 20, 2020 (Off-Cycle Announcement): Call to Action: Join the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition
ORAU is proud to join the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition, a private sector-led coalition formed to coordinate the collection, aggregation, and analysis of COVID-19 data and best practices. Led by The MITRE Corporation, ORAU joins the Mayo Clinic, Leavitt Partners, MIT faculty, and others in this newly-launched effort. Our hope is that by utilizing the robust data collection and analytics expertise in the private sector, we can help flatten the COVID-19 curve.
The coalition is unfunded, and open to anyone with data to share and a commitment to collaboration. ORAU invites our university partners to join us in working towards the goal of ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, The MITRE Corporation has released a white paper titled, Stopping COVID-19: Short-term Actions for Long-term Impact. This white paper includes recommendations for non-pharmaceutical interventions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Funding Opportunities
Access a list of current funding opportunities from ORAU
Ralph Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
Innovation Partnership Program
This program (previously called "Event Sponsorship Program") provides up to $4000 to support an in-person or virtual event that involves participants from more than one ORAU member institution, including students. Innovation Partnership applications should focus on focused workshops/conferences that highlight your university’s strategic STEM research and education growth areas, and where collaborations with other member universities would add value. We are specifically interested in events that can bring more thought leadership in building a national strategy for STEM education and workforce development. Member universities are encouraged to collaborate around this topic in anticipation of federal funding initiatives. This is an institutionally limited funding opportunity. To check internal deadlines, see website.
Heidelberg Laureate Forum
The Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation (HLFF) annually organizes the Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), which is a networking event for mathematicians and computer scientists from all over the world. For one week, the recipients of the Abel Prize, the ACM A.M. Turing Award, the Fields Medal, and the Nevanlinna Prize engage in a cross-generational scientific dialogue with young researchers in Heidelberg, Germany.
Other Announcements
ORAU Membership: Being a member of ORAU’s University Consortium has its privileges, including access to unique vehicles for funding research, professional growth and development opportunities, and interesting collaborations. Access information about ORAU Consortium Membership.
Zintellect: ORAU’s new unified application system, Zintellect, is currently up and running. The Zintellect system is a searchable, opportunity-based system where applicants can develop one profile and attach it to multiple applications. This streamlined system hosts hundreds of listings of internships and experiential learning opportunities that are administered by ORAU and funded by government and private sector organizations. Since its launch in October 2014, Zintellect has advertised nearly 2,000 opportunities for 184 active programs, offered by 22 Sponsor organizations. Leverage this ORAU capability for the benefit of your students and recent graduates through Zintellect.
Annual Meeting: ORAU's Annual Meeting of the Council of Sponsoring Institutions is held to explore relevant topics in higher education. The meeting not only provides presentations by nationally recognized experts, but also gives our university consortium members the opportunity to partake in valuable discussions with council representatives and ORAU staff in conjunction with the meeting's yearly theme.
Access a list of current ORAU opportunities.