Oak Ridge Today

Recent ORAU annual meeting highlighted compliance complexity in higher education

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Federal regulations require diligence from academic institutions

Colleges and universities face many complex issues as they navigate the growing number of federal regulations. Institutions of higher education spend considerable financial resources to stay in compliance. Speakers at the 72nd annual meeting of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions clarified select regulations and presented practical solutions for overcoming hurdles.

The recent two-day meeting hosted by ORAU at Pollard Technology Conference Center involved nearly 150 attendees, and speakers addressed regulatory reform to compliance processes.

Keynote speaker Brett Sweet, vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer of Vanderbilt University, observed the substantial increase in the magnitude of federal regulations since the 1950s and noted the administrative and enforcement expenses tied to these regulations.

“While some regulation is valuable, compliance and reporting add a material cost burden to post-secondary education. This is especially true for research institutions,” Sweet said. [Read more…]

ORNL establishes Liane B. Russell Distinguished Early Career Fellowship

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Liane B. Russell

Liane B. Russell

With the goal of expanding opportunities for early career researchers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has established a research award in the name of its most acclaimed woman scientist.

The Liane B. Russell Distinguished Early Career Fellowship is intended to attract a diverse work force of scientists and engineers who have demonstrated outstanding scientific ability and research interests that align with the U.S. Department of Energy and ORNL research missions.

The competitive, three-year fellowship is aimed toward establishing long-term research careers at ORNL, a press release said. In the spirit of ORNL’s groundbreaking female geneticist, Russell, these fellowships will be available to outstanding scientists and engineers who have received their doctorate degrees within the past seven years, with emphasis given to attracting women and minority candidates. [Read more…]

Hoping to improve global security, UT launches Radiochemistry Center

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KNOXVILLE—Hypothetical scenario: A nuclear bomb is detonated in one of America’s most populated cities. Just as at a crime scene, the officials need to find the culprit.

Currently, the process of analyzing weapons debris to understand the performance or design of the device is painstakingly slow. But new research to be conducted at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville seeks to improve radiochemistry and nuclear forensics to enhance global security.

The new Radiochemistry Center of Excellence is being established through a $1.2 million grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration for the first year, with the potential for a total of $6 million for five years. The center will focus on research and education to advance UT and NNSA laboratories such as the nearby Y-12 National Security Complex, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The center will begin operating immediately. [Read more…]