UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute will help make Tennessee a national leader in STEM | Opinion

Tennessee is becoming a hub for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent and discovery. An integral component of that goal is the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) in Oak Ridge.

The institute was established in 2019 and is set to expand into one of the nation’s top research and education centers with the inclusion of a significant appropriation in the fiscal year 22-23 budget.

An initiative of the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the institute is launching in response to America’s need for a stronger pipeline of STEM talent.

Richard “Rick” Raines, director of the Electrification and Energy Infrastructures Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, takes U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, right, on a tour of GRID-C at ORNL’s Hardin Valley campus in Knoxville, Tenn., on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021. Raines recently spoke to a Friends of ORNL audience about electric vehicles, batteries and more.

ORNL huge draw for research students

Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, is the Speaker of the Tennessee Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee

UT’s partnership with ORNL is the No. 1 reason research students choose to come here. They get to work side by side with some of the top scientists in their fields, at world-leading facilities and on some of the most important high-tech and scientific challenges facing our nation. UT-ORII will attract and produce top engineers, researchers and innovators to meet the emerging challenges facing our nation and the world.

The institute will train more Tennesseans for high-paying jobs in manufacturing, energy and data science, and it will become a national model for collaborative research, interdisciplinary education and workforce development.

The FY 22-23 budget includes $72 million for the institute, following the state’s initial appropriation of $8 million the previous fiscal year. The combined $80 million will complete the state’s investment to fully establish the institute eight years ahead of schedule. We’re pleased this appropriation recognizes the urgent need to expand research and STEM training in our state.

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Three main focus areas

UT-ORII will prioritize three main focus areas: research, education and workforce development.

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The institute will recruit the best and brightest researchers from across the country; it will form partnerships to advance research throughout university campuses, private industry and government; and it will fund joint research opportunities.

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World-class interdisciplinary education will be a cornerstone of the institute. The appropriation will allow for increased recruitment of the top students in the nation, many of whom remain in Tennessee after graduation to start businesses or work at ORNL and other employers in the Oak Ridge Corridor.

Programs reach across the state

State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston (District 12)

Successful programs will be expanded statewide with the creation of UT-ORII. One example is UT’s Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) internship program, which launched last summer. As part of the program, 18 undergraduates spent 10 weeks working side by side with researchers from UT Knoxville and ORNL. Two undergraduates have already applied to Ph.D. programs — more are expected — and four authored or published papers and continue to work with their mentors. This year, enrollment of the program will grow to 30 and that number will continue to increase with this appropriation.

Across the state in Memphis, UT-ORII is partnering with the UT Health Science Center to advance health analytics and other cutting-edge health research — another effort that will be aided by our state funding.

And later this year, UT-ORII will join the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in the launch of a new accredited degree program that will make it easier for Tennesseans to obtain STEM degrees. That program will also expand with this funding.

Another program that will grow under this appropriation is the UT Knoxville-led Southeastern Advanced Machine Tools Network (SEAMTN), which trains the workforce to operate next-generation machine tools and smart manufacturing processes. Centering this network here in Oak Ridge will make Tennessee the U.S. hub for machine tool research, development and training.

We’re grateful that Gov. Bill Lee and our colleagues in the General Assembly are committed to making the investments needed in education to prepare our future STEM workforce and advance research and innovation across our state. This is a transformative investment for the Oak Ridge Corridor that will establish Tennessee as a national leader in STEM and help advance our country for generations to come.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) serves as speaker of the Senate. He represents Anderson, Loudon and part of Knox counties. Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) serves as Chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus. He represents Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Rhoane, Pickett and Scott counties.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute will help make Tennessee a national leader in STEM