Research Opportunity Overview

Why Summer Research Teams?

The purpose of the Defense lab academic research activity is to increase and enhance the scientific leadership at underserved populations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Serving Institutions (MIs) in research areas that support the mission and goals of the Joint Science and Technology Office JSTO-CBD.

This research activity provides faculty and student research teams with the opportunity to conduct research at a Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory.

For further information about the Defense lab academic research activity, please email FSR@orau.org.

The DoD labs are the foundation for research to support our nation’s defense. Since the earliest days in our history, private industry has built upon knowledge discovered by DoD and developed tools and conveniences for everyday use. DoD STEM seeks to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum and advance the current DoD STEM workforce to meet future defense technological challenges.

What Do Summer Research Teams Do?

The research activity seeks to pair a MIs faculty member and an undergraduate student with a DoD scientist for a 10-week summer research experience at a DoD laboratory. Faculty/student teams will be paired with a DoD laboratory mentor based on the research areas of both institutions to provide the most relevant experience.

Goals for the research experience:

• Better understand the mission and research needs of DoD
• Make advances in DoD research areas
• Strengthen the talent pool of scientists and engineers
• Conduct collaborative research of mutual interest to the Team and the DoD laboratory

How Do I Get Involved?

Faculty members currently teaching at an MIs and students currently enrolled at a MIs in a discipline, major or concentration directly related to a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research area are encouraged to apply.

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) administers this research activity through an interagency agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Defense Threat Reduction Agency. ORISE is managed by ORAU for DOE. ORISE will be responsible for the application and review process, notification and implementation of the research activity.