Organized Research Unit Funding
ORU FY14 Budget Proposals and Hearings
The FY14 competitive budget development process is under way for all currently supported as well as newly proposed research centers and institutes (organized research units – ORUs) and research groups in the formation stage who are seeking continuing or new campus-level funding support. The primary purpose of this funding is to help ORUs organize to pursue external funding to become self-sufficient, usually within a five-year time period, or to help sustain ORUs with a large return on investment. Forming and sustaining multidisciplinary research groups is particularly encouraged. Any released funds are then available to start another ORU.
The results of this process will inform the campus level decisions related to funding commitments in support of the Research mission for FY14 as well as the funding allocations to currently supported ORUs as well as ORUs seeking funding for the first time.
For additional information, please review the ORU Budgeting General Guidelines.
Existing ORUs are defined as all established and recognized campus, college, or department level research groups, research centers or institutes.
Potential ORUs include emerging research centers that have not yet become official but are composed of an organized group of faculty of sufficient number to have a significant impact on a defined topic or discipline.
Proposal Presentation Schedule
The Office of Research is currently reviewing the submitted proposals. A select number of the ORU's directors have been invited to give public presentations on their proposals and to address for clarifying questions. These hearings will be held on March 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (for institutes and centers who report to the VCR), March 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., March 11 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and March 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Detailed presentation schedules:
Proposals and Funding Information
The following ORUs submitted funding proposals for FY14. The linked PDF documents are accessible only by UT Knoxville faculty and staff.
For details of FY14 funding requests, download the ORU FY14 Funding Request Summary (PDF)
Note: Access to these documents requires logging in with your NetID and password. Internet Explorer users must precede their NetID with UTK\ (example: UTK\NetID).
New ORU Funding Request Proposals for FY14
Center for Literacy, Education and Employment (CLEE)
Center for Wildlife Health (CWH)
Green Economy Initiative (GEI)
Neuroscience Network of East Tennessee (NNET)
Science Communication Initiative (SCI)
UT Institute for Nuclear Security (UT INS)
Currently Funded ORU Proposals
Center for Enhancing Education in Mathematics & Sciences (CEEMS)
Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB)
Center for Health Science Research (CHSR)
Center for Information and Communication Studies (CICS)
Center for Information Technology Research (CITR)
Center for Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning (CISML)
Center on Deafness (COD)
Center for the Study of Youth and Political Conflict (CSYPC)
Center for the Study of Social Justice (CSSJ)
Center for the Study of War and Society (CSWS)
Cold Spallation Target Concept Development (CST)
Design, Build, Evaluate Initiative (DBEI)
Health Information Technology & Simulation Laboratory (HITSL)
Initiative for Quaternary Paleoclimate Research (IQPR)
Institute for Secure & Sustainable Environment - WRRC (ISSE)
Korn Learning, Assessment, and Social Skills (KLASS) Center
Microbiology Across Campuses Educational and Research Venture (M-CERV)
Metabolic Translational Research Initiative (MTRI)
Plant Research Center (PRC)
Risk, Health & Crisis Communication Research Unit (RHCC)
Sustainable Energy Education and Research Center (SEERC)
Tennessee Crystal Synthesis Initiative (TCSI)
Joint Institutes
Joint Institute for Advanced Materials (JIAM)
Joint Institute of Biological Sciences (JIBS)
Joint Institute of Computational Sciences (JICS)
Joint Institute for Heavy Ion Research (JIHR)
Joint Institute of Neutron Sciences (JINS)
Contact Information
Jane Taylor
Administrative Specialist
Office of Research & Engagement
1534 White Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996-1529
Phone: (865) 974-0437
Fax: (865) 974-7400
Email: tayloje@utk.edu