ORAU: Then & Now
ORAU: Then & Now is an excellent resource to explore how our people, programs, and partnerships are driving meaningful impact, serving our nation, and enhancing global competitiveness in areas such as STEM education, workforce solutions, exposure science, health education, disaster preparedness, forensic science, and more.
Discover our rich history, which traces back to the Manhattan Project during World War II, and learn how we continue to address critical national needs in science, health, and education.
The 2026 Tennessee Science Bowl is in the books, and Farragut High School—Team One— is the reigning champion. Since 1991, high school students across the state have gathered on a February Saturday to go head-to-head in a quiz-show-style competition to test their knowledge in biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy and math.
According to Lee Riedinger, a retired University of Tennessee physics professor, ORAU has been a vital link in the connection between UT and Oak Ridge since the sunsetting of the Manhattan Project after World War II. In fact, he wrote a book about this history.
Luke Fountain, Ph.D., a third-year NASA Postdoctoral (NPP) Fellow, is determining how astronauts can best grow food in space as part of the space crop production team at Kennedy Space Center.
While STEM-focused and other professional careers continue to be vital to the future of our nation, there has been a growing recognition and renewed focus on the critical role of skilled trades and technical workers in driving innovation and supporting essential industries for our country as well.
ORAU launched the Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competition in mid-October to award three Alabama welding teachers with $30,000 in new equipment or upgrades for their workshops or classrooms.
While there has been a lot of research on the benefits of peer-to-peer support for women facing cancer, that has not been the case with men. ORAU stepped into this research gap and funded a one-year pilot study looking at peer support intervention for men facing cancer.
Throughout history, few individuals have held the diverse titles of nuclear physicist, author, teacher, administrator and Episcopal priest all at once. Yet, William Grosvenor Pollard (1911-1989) uniquely embodied this remarkable combination. Over the course of his 40-year career, these seemingly divergent roles often intersected, showcasing his multifaceted brilliance.