Centers and Institutes that Promote Learning and Discovery

UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory share a historic partnership that began during World War II and has since helped shape the Knoxville–Oak Ridge Innovation Valley. Since 2000, UT has co-managed ORNL through UT-Battelle, a 50-50 partnership between UT and Battelle Memorial Institute, responsible for managing and operating the largest science and energy lab in the U.S. Department of Energy system.

Collaborative research spans materials and manufacturing, nuclear science, neutron science, bioenergy, high-energy physics, AI, systems biology and national security. More than 80 researchers hold joint appointments between UT and ORNL, including UT–ORNL Governor’s Chairs, which bring top global talent to Tennessee. Each year, hundreds of UT graduate students also conduct research alongside ORNL teams.

ORNL is home to several of the world’s most powerful supercomputers and leading neutron and nuclear research facilities, including the Spallation Neutron Source, the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.

The Institute of Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) is one of 17 Manufacturing USA institutes created to help revitalize U.S. manufacturing. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, IACMI connects innovators with the resources needed to advance and commercialize cutting-edge composite technologies while developing the skilled workforce to sustain them.

The institute is managed by Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation, a not-for-profit established by the UT Research Foundation, affirming UT’s central role in its leadership and operations. IACMI is headquartered in the Innovation South facility at the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm, co-locating with UT’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility. This strategic move strengthens collaboration among faculty, students and industry, while supporting research, prototyping and workforce training in a shared, state-of-the-art space.