Institute for Energy and Environment
Securing the future of our planet through innovations that begin in Tennessee
STEWARDING TENNESSEE’S RESOURCES
UT Research uncovers sustainable ways to create value from the state’s natural and industrial resources while protecting the environment and enhancing communities.
FORGING CONNECTIONS TO STRENGTHEN OUR IMPACT
We draw on a variety of perspectives and multi-sectoral partnerships to solve real-world challenges.
BRINGING RESEARCH TO REAL LIFE
We work with communities and organizations to create solutions that make life and lives better.
RESEARCH AREAS
CIRCULAR BIOECONOMY
Renewable resources like switchgrass, poplar, and other crops power the circular bioeconomy. They help advance our decarbonization goals, sustain our rich ecosystems, replace the myriad of fossil-based products in widespread use today, and reduce the volume of waste being sent to landfills.
CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS
Energy is a driving force in modern society, but is too often a source of pollution that threatens life and lives. The development of next-generation clean energy systems will power communities across the state and around the world while mitigating threats associated with greenhouse gas emissions.
Engaged Communities
The solutions to complex problems often lie within the communities they impact. Community voices are critical in the identification of real-world challenges and in the development of solutions that preserve natural resources and sustain modern life.
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
Natural ecosystems encompass not only an array of living organisms, but also the intricate tapestry of environments that support them. The stewardship of these ecosystems and the sustainability of life and resources within them necessitate the collaborative dedication and coordinated efforts of all.
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
The built environment—and the processes used to create it—impact the well-being of people and the natural environment. New approaches must be developed to reduce the environmental burden of infrastructure while also guiding the future design of structures, the planning of communities, and the delivery of essential services, including clean energy and water.
World-Class Faculty
IEE faculty represent all UT colleges. They come together to share their expertise, explore solutions to complex challenges, engage industry, government, community and other partners to solve complex problems, and prepare future generations of creators, innovators, and leaders.
The university is recruiting faculty who share a passion for working together to tackle grand challenges facing Tennessee and beyond as part of its Cluster Hire Initiatives. Visit the Cluster Hire Initiatives website to learn more.
IEE News
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Five UT Faculty Teams Receive Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Awards
Five faculty-led teams advancing innovations in agricultural technology, architectural design and building technology, biomanufacturing, and electrochemical energy systems and regenerative medicine won this year’s awards. Faculty will work to commercialize their technologies, which address unmet market needs—and unmet human needs.
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Four Faculty Elected 2025 AAAS Fellows
Faculty from UT’s Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Molecular Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and UT Institute of Agriculture’s Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science are among the latest to be recognized with this prestigious honor.
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Hidden Biodiversity in Tennessee Rivers: A Q&A with UT Freshwater Mussel Researcher Gerald Dinkins
New genetic research with key contributions from UT reveals previously unknown species in the Tennessee River Basin—one of the most biologically diverse river systems in the world and home to more freshwater mussel species than anywhere else in North America.