Aligning the expertise and infrastructure of the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute is a hub for world-class discovery and innovation, interdisciplinary graduate education, and talent development.

The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute

Today, University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are directing their joint attention to advancing research in the areas of the greatest national need. These include clean manufacturing, advanced materials, energy and transportation.

Since their partnership began, researchers at UT and ORNL have collaborated across a diverse portfolio that includes artificial intelligence and biofuels; big data and supercomputing; medical isotopes; manufacturing technologies; energy efficiency; production and storage; cybersecurity; fundamental discovery science; and much more.

To accelerate UT and ORNL’s joint research, the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute is recruiting top researchers, funding new joint research and partnering with industry and others.

Governor's Chairs

The Governor’s Chairs program provides joint appointments at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory for some of the nation’s top scientists, transforming such fields as clean manufacturing, energy production, environmental systems and computing technologies.

Funded by the state of Tennessee and ORNL, the program attracts top researchers to broaden and enhance the unique research partnership that exists among UT, the state’s preeminent public university system, and ORNL, the nation’s largest multiprogram laboratory.

The Governor’s Chair program is managed by the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) in coordination with ORNL and UT. To accelerate collaborative research between UT and ORNL, UT-ORII is expanding its prestigious Governor’s Chairs program. There are currently 15 Governor’s Chairs, 13 located at UT Knoxville and two at UT Health Science Center.