At ORAU, we believe that building a better world starts with empowering individuals at every stage of their career journey. For nearly 80 years, this belief has driven our mission to cultivate a strong, resilient and impactful workforce. From sparking curiosity in young minds to promoting innovation among seasoned professionals, ORAU is a trusted partner in every phase of workforce development.
Explaining our work isn’t as simple as describing a factory that produces a single product. Instead, our efforts are multifaceted, encompassing a wide range of capabilities that collectively contribute to strengthening the scientific and technical workforce.
For example, ORAU through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is not only leading national efforts to enhance the workforce by appointing more than 9,000 early-career STEM graduates per year in research participation programs at federal agencies, but we are also addressing local needs. In Tennessee (and beyond), we are spearheading initiatives to build a robust workforce pipeline for the nuclear industry. This includes engaging scientific and technical subject matter experts to deal with critical personnel gaps and ensure the labor pool is equipped to meet future demands.
ORAU is there for all phases of the lifecycle of a member of the workforce from start to finish, or “K to Gray.”
Our approach: Supporting the lifecycle of scientific and technical workers
Our story is built around the lifecycle of scientific and technical workers, a broad range of STEM and technical professionals. What we do encompasses distinct phases of the employee’s lifecycle: discovery, development, connection and support—with a through-thread of strengthening and safeguarding worker and community health. Throughout all these phases, we believe that innovation and progress are built on the foundation of a thriving workforce and resilient communities.
Let’s take a practical look at what that looks like in ORAU’s day-to-day operation.
Discovery phase: Igniting curiosity early in life
Elementary-aged students learn math with clay during a free summer mini academy we offered in 2025.
The journey begins in the classroom, where ORAU sparks curiosity and inspires a lifelong love for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Through free hands-on STEM activities, engaging competitions and educator tools, we help students from kindergarten to high school explore the wonders of STEM. By fostering curiosity and providing resources for career exploration, we aim to nurture the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.
Recognizing the importance of technical trades, ORAU also supports programs like Extreme Trades Makeover, which awards welding teachers with $30,000 in shop equipment upgrades. This initiative, a spinoff of our renowned Extreme Classroom Makeover program for STEM educators, underscores our commitment to advancing education and fostering excellence across diverse fields.
Explore what ORAU offers through our corporate K-12 STEM education programs as well as what we accomplish through our ORISE K-12 STEM education programs.
Development phase: Preparing emerging professionals
A 2025 ORISE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) participant. The SULI program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) and is administered by ORISE.
As students transition to college and early career stages, ORISE equips them with opportunities to grow and thrive in STEM and technical fields. Through internships, research programs and specialized training, we help emerging professionals gain the skills and experience they need to succeed. These programs are designed to bridge the gap between education and the workforce, ensuring a strong foundation for future leaders in scientific and technical industries.
Read some of our ORISE STEM Researchers’ success stories.
Connection phase: Advancing innovation among mid-career professionals
For mid-career professionals, ORAU serves as a vital connector—linking them to expert networks, collaboration opportunities and resources that support the advancement of their work. Through fostering innovation and facilitating scientific discovery, we help professionals achieve their full potential while driving progress in their respective fields.
Our primary method of connecting people, ideas and research is through our university consortium. In a previous blog, we explored the consortium in detail: ORAU’s consortium—What’s that? At its core, our consortium serves as a matchmaking hub, introducing professionals with like-minded colleagues and industry opportunities. This collaboration propels ideas and research passions into groundbreaking discoveries, aligning with our overarching strategy of enhancing worker health, safety and resilience.
Learn how our university consortium advances research through grant opportunities. Discover more about one of our latest successes: Radiation therapy research project keeps ORAU on the cutting edge of cancer research.
A panel discussion during ORAU’s 2025 annual meeting of sponsoring institutions.
Support phase: Empowering seasoned professionals
Seasoned professionals play a vital role in advancing STEM and technical excellence, and ORAU is here to support them in sharing their knowledge and continuing their contributions. Whether through mentorship, collaboration, or specialized programs, we empower experienced professionals to make a lasting impact in their industries and communities.
ORAU has a network of 24,000+ global subject matter experts because when it comes to scientific peer reviews, merit reviews and program evaluations, the results are only as good as the professionals who bring their expertise to the review process. Learn about ORAU peer review.
Peer review is the evaluation of scientific work by subject matter experts from the same or a related field. ORAU gives professionals the opportunity to share their expertise.
Beyond workforce development
While workforce development is at the heart of what we do, ORAU is equally committed to strengthening and safeguarding the health and resilience of workers and communities. From addressing occupational health challenges to enhancing emergency preparedness and advancing public health research, we promote safer working and living environments. Our work ensures that individuals and communities are equipped to thrive in the face of challenges and uncertainties.
Check out ORAU products like Emergency Manager 360 and Exercise Builder Nuclear.
Also, learn about programs like our contract with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for radiation dose reconstruction and the important work the National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP) does to support current and former energy workers.
Building a better world, together
The ORAU story is one of discovery, development, connection and support of workers and strengthening worker and community health. Our dedication to workforce readiness and worker health creates a ripple effect of positive impact. By strengthening individuals at every stage of their journey, we are building a stronger workforce and communities for a better world.