Seed Grants Available for UT-ORNL Research
The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) is seeking proposals for its second round of seed grants. All UT faculty and Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are eligible to apply. The deadline for this round of grants is June 28.
Over the next five years, UT-ORII plans to award up to $1.5 million in seed grants to support cutting-edge multidisciplinary research by teams of UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers.
Proposing teams must each include at least two principal investigators from UT and two from ORNL. Initial awards will be funded in the $150-200K (total costs) range for one year. In addition, funded teams will receive support for up to three graduate research assistants. Researchers accepting a GRA on a UT-ORII seed project must commit to mentor and financially support the student beyond the funding period. Opportunities for one-year funded extensions are available.
Funded teams must commit to develop highly competitive large-scale proposals targeting federal agencies or large-scale industrial collaboration opportunities. Initial target areas for this program include:
- Autonomous, Smart, Secure and Resilient Energy Systems
- Electrochemical Energy Systems
- Advanced Science and Engineering of Materials and Manufacturing
- Predictive Systems Biology for Circular and Sustainable Economies
UT-ORII awarded its first round of seed grants earlier this year. More information on UT-ORII’s seed grants can be found at https://utk.infoready4.com or for questions about the application procedure, please contact Betty Carmon at bcarmon@utk.edu .
About the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute
The UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, initially known as the Oak Ridge Institute at UT, builds upon a partnership between UT and ORNL that dates back to the Manhattan Project. Established in 2019, the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute will create a robust talent pipeline in areas of growing national need and demand.
The UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute will address top-tier industry and workforce needs. The institute will develop scientists and engineers, who will be locally relevant and globally competitive. Students will be prepared by teaching innovation and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills.