FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2004
FY04-13
ORAU Elects Wayne State University to Consortium
OAK RIDGE, Tenn.— Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ membership unanimously voted to accept Wayne State University as a member at the 59th annual meeting of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions held recently in Washington, D.C.
“From neutrons to nanoscience, ORAU is promoting the next generation of scientific endeavors in the United States,” Townsend said. “Wayne State brings research capabilities and expertise that are vital to our mission to promote collaborative partnerships with our country’s national laboratories and pursue major initiatives in technology and science.”
“Our faculty looks forward to collaborating with ORAU and the other member institutions,” said Wayne State Vice President for Research John Oliver. “Through our promotion of multidisciplinary collaboration, both inside and outside the walls of Wayne State, we have made great strides in cutting-edge research, offering solutions to the real-world problems plaguing our contemporary world. Our partnership with ORAU will certainly enhance this mission.”
Located in Detroit, Wayne State is Michigan's only urban research university. In the past 20 years, the university’s research budget has grown 15 percent annually, with research expenditures reaching nearly $200 million in 2002. Over 75 percent of research at the university focuses on the life sciences.
Wayne State’s new 700-megahertz Biomolecular Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility gives researchers the tools to study the mechanics of cancer, to develop new antibiotic and antiviral drugs and to explore nanotechnology and materials science applications. This is the first such facility in the United States to be equipped with a cryoprobe, a cryogenically cooled detection instrument that provides 10-times greater sensitivity than standard imaging technology.
ORAU is now composed of 91 member institutions and 10 associate members, found in states across the nation as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and London. Consortium members take part in ORAU-sponsored or administered scientific research programs. Faculty and students also benefit from extensive opportunities for travel grants, internships and laboratory research at federal facilities.
Indiana University and the Medical College of Georgia also joined the consortium as ORAU member institutions during the council meeting. In addition, Arkansas State University became an associate member.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 91 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.
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