Project Highlight: Education Partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) share complementary missions—to advance science and education.
As ORAU has invested in cultivating the next generation of scientists, engineers, and other talented professionals from our nation’s academic institutions and beyond, ORNL has invested in leadership-class facilities that provide a fertile bed for advances in research and new scientific and technological discoveries.
The ORAU/ORNL partnership represents nearly six decades of cooperation. A variety of productive collaborations have provided educational opportunities for faculty members, students, and recent graduates. Science education and research participation programs are an important component of ORNL’s science and technology mission.
ORAU has cooperated with ORNL to design, implement, and administer robust science education programs that serve the emerging needs of both the academic and laboratory research communities. These have included:
- Department of Energy (DOE)-funded appointments
- ORNL internally funded programs
- Appointments supported by federal agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Homeland Security
During FY 2005, ORAU administered a total of 26 different programs on behalf of ORNL. These served 755 participants from nearly 200 U.S. and more than 50 foreign colleges and universities. The programs included activities for pre-college students and teachers, as well as research opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, postgraduates, faculty members, and faculty/student teams.
Through these programs, college and university faculty, students, and recent graduates participate in leading-edge research with top ORNL scientists, linking classroom science with real-world applications of national significance.
Recent Program Accomplishments
ORNL Undergraduate Cooperative Education Program. Provides opportunities for qualified undergraduate students to receive hands-on experiences over several semesters to prepare them to become part of tomorrow's workforce. The program will become an integral part of ORNL's new workforce development plan, which focuses on strong recruitment and retention strategies. Once the students complete the program and graduate, ORNL may hire or transfer them to other programs commensurate with their interests and the laboratory's needs.
DOE Faculty Sabbatical Program. Provided a year-long sabbatical appointment to faculty member Jiandi Zhang from Florida International University and a semester appointment to Shubha Kale Ireland, a microbiology faculty member from Xavier University, who was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Increases in participation were noted at every academic level during FY2005. The number of graduate students and postdocs increased 34% and 15.5%, respectively.
Projected Activities
- Changes to ORNL’s Postgraduate Programs involving new recruitment and selection strategies as well as activities designed to enhance the postgraduate’s career development experience at the laboratory
- Development of online applications for the postgraduate and the undergraduate co-op programs, including online viewing, selection, and administrative systems
- Development of a database that allows current participants to create, update, and maintain profiles of their education, experience, interests, and expertise. To include a viewing system that will allow laboratory personnel to review these profiles for the purpose of matching participants with job openings or encouraging additional collaborations
- Development of a system to track all program participants once they leave ORNL to document their educational accomplishments and professional activities, inform them of job openings, and assess program outcomes
- Partnering with ORNL to offer unique professional development activities for teachers
For a complete listing of available programs, visit the ORNL Educational and Research Experiences Web site.
