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ORNL to receive $497 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding 

Posted at 3:50 pm November 12, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge National Laboratory will receive $497 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for projects that include nuclear fusion and neutron research, supercomputing, materials science, and radioisotope production. More than half of the money, 52% of it, will be used for U.S. contributions to an international nuclear fusion project.

ORNL’s $497 million is about one-third of the $1.55 billion provided to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science by the Democrat-led Congress under the IRA. President Joe Biden signed the IRA, which included a range of provisions and passed along party lines, into law in August. It provides money for more than 52 DOE projects already in the works.

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Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Premium Content, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Chuck Fleischmann, DOE, Inflation Reduction Act, ITER, Jennifer Granholm, Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay, LEGEND, Marsha Blackburn, Materials Plasma eXposure Experiment, materials science, MPEX, neutron research, nuclear fusion, Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, Radioisotope Processing Facility, radioisotope production, Second Target Station, Spallation Neutron Source, Stable Isotope Production and Research Center, supercomputing, Thomas Zacharia, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. ITER

DOE: New $600 million supercomputer at ORNL will be world’s most powerful

Posted at 8:57 am May 7, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above from left during an announcement for the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, are Energy Secretary Rick Perry; ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia; Peter Ungaro, Cray president and chief executive officer; and Lisa Su, AMD president and CEO. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 3 p.m. May 21.

The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday announced a contract with Cray Inc. to build the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It is expected to be the world’s most powerful supercomputer when it debuts in 2021.

The contract with Cray is valued at more than $600 million for the system and technology development, a press release said.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry was at ORNL on Tuesday morning to make the announcement.

“This is a big deal,” Perry said. “Frontier’s record-breaking performance will ensure our country’s ability to lead the world in science that improves the lives and economic prosperity of all Americans and the entire world. Frontier will accelerate innovation in AI (artificial intelligence) by giving American researchers world-class data and computing resources to ensure the next great inventions are made in the United States.”

Besides the supercomputing announcement on Tuesday, Perry also delivered the keynote speech at InnovationXLab: Advanced Manufacturing Summit at ORNL.

Frontier is expected to perform at greater than 1.5 exaflops. It will be able to solve calculations up to 50 times faster than today’s top supercomputers, exceeding a quintillion, or 1018, calculations per second, the press release said. That’s a billion billion calculations per second.

Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that Frontier would be built at ORNL. But the contract with Cray and its value and the specific performance estimate of more than 1.5 exaflops are all new announcements. The contract award includes technology development funding, a center of excellence, several early-delivery systems, the main Frontier system, and multi-year systems support. The Frontier system is expected to be delivered in 2021, and acceptance is expected in 2022. 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: AMD, Argonne National Laboratory, artificial intelligence, Aurora, China, Cray, DOE, exaflop, exascale, exascale computing, Frontier, Lamar Alexander, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lisa Su, Morgan McCorkle, most powerful supercomputer, Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, petaflop, Peter Ungaro, quantum computing, Rick Perry, summit, supercomputer, supercomputing, Thomas Zacharia, Titan, U.S. Department of Energy

Energy Secretary Perry to visit ORNL for supercomputing announcement

Posted at 11:58 pm June 7, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Rick Perry

Rick Perry

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will visit Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Friday to make a supercomputing announcement, a media advisory said.

The advisory doesn’t provide any additional information about the announcement, which will be made at noon at ORNL.

Perry will tour ORNL, meet with employees, and deliver remarks at the supercomputing event. He will be joined by several elected officials from Tennessee, the media advisory said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Rick Perry, supercomputing, U.S. energy secretary

DOE announces $1.8 billion program for new supercomputers, with one at ORNL

Posted at 11:23 am April 9, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Rick Perry

Rick Perry

Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a new supercomputing program on Monday that could be worth up to $1.8 billion and deploy two systems, with one at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, that would be 50 to 100 times more powerful than today’s computers.

The new systems are called exascale computers. DOE said the new supercomputers will solidify United States leadership in exascale computing.

The initiative was announced by U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Perry announced a request for proposals, or RFP, for the development of at least two new exascale supercomputers to be deployed at DOE national laboratories sometime around 2021-2023.

“The new supercomputers funded through this RFP will be follow-on systems to the first U.S. exascale system authorized by Secretary Perry this past June, named Aurora, which is currently under development at Argonne National Laboratory and scheduled to come online in 2021,” a press release said. The RFP announced Monday envisions the possibility of upgrades to Aurora or even a follow-on system in 2022-2023, “depending on an assessment of needs and opportunities at that time.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Argonne National Laboratory, Aurora, Chuck Fleischmann, Collaboration of Oak Ridge Argonne and Livermore, CORAL, DOE, DOE national laboratories, DOE Office of Science, exascale computer, exascale computing, Exascale Computing Project, exascale supercomputer, Frontier, House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, nuclear weapons, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, request for proposals, RFP, Rick Perry, summit, supercomputer, supercomputing, supercomputing supremacy, Titan, Top500, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle LLC

UT executive David Millhorn, a UT-ORNL leader, died Monday at 72

Posted at 1:47 pm December 19, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

David Millhorn

David Millhorn

 

KNOXVILLE—David Millhorn, University of Tennessee senior vice president emeritus and national laboratory relations advisor, died on Monday in Knoxville. Millhorn, who joined UT System Administration in 2005 as vice president for research and economic development, was 72.

In July, Millhorn transitioned to his most recent role with the university after having served as UT senior vice president and vice president for research, outreach, and economic development since 2016 and president of the UT Research Foundation since January 2014.

Two years after Millhorn’s service as a member of the UT president’s staff began in 2005, he took on the additional role of UT executive vice president and served in both that capacity and as vice president for research until 2016, a press release said.

Millhorn oversaw multiple, unprecedented achievements for the university’s research enterprise, the press release said. Among those, UT’s contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage Oak Ridge National Laboratory—in partnership with Battelle Memorial Institute of Ohio—earned two five-year extensions, in 2010 and 2015, without having to re-compete. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Battelle Memorial Institute, David Millhorn, East Tennessee Economic Council, Governor’s Chairs program, Joe DiPietro, joint UT-ORNL appointments, Muddy Boot Award, national laboratory relations advisor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, ORNL, senior vice president emeritus, supercomputer, supercomputing, Thomas Zacharia, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Tennessee, UT, UT Cherokee Farm Innovation Campus, UT Research Foundation, UT-Battelle Awards, UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Advanced Materials

Highway should be renamed Oak Ridge Corridor, Alexander says

Posted at 2:02 pm September 3, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

The highway that runs from Oak Ridge to the Knoxville airport should be renamed the Oak Ridge Corridor, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said Thursday.

The highway starts in Oak Ridge as South Illinois Avenue, and it turns into Pellissippi Parkway.

Alexander, a former Tennessee governor, said he wants to give the area a signature like Research Triangle in North Carolina or Silicon Valley in California.

“I can think of no better calling card for a job recruiter than to be able to go anywhere in the world and say, ‘I’m from the Oak Ridge Corridor,'” the Tennessee Republican said in a press release after speaking to Rotary members at the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge. “In Anderson, Roane, and Knox counties, more than 40,000 people have graduate or professional degrees. This includes 1,600 scientists and engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, more than 1,000 PhDs at the University of Tennessee, and hundreds of engineers at Tennessee Valley Authority and at Y-12 National Security Complex. We are in the middle of one of our country’s most formidable concentrations of brainpower.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, State, Top Stories Tagged With: CVMR Corporation, highway, Lamar Alexander, Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Oak Ridge Corridor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge-Knoxville, Pellissippi Parkway, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, South Illinois Avenue, supercomputing, uranium processing facility

AMSE opens three new science-themed interactive exhibits

Posted at 11:57 pm May 27, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

AMSE Logo

Submitted

Space exploration, supercomputing, and neutron science are featured in three new hands-on exhibits at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

The exhibits showcase national science topics with local ties to research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“Bringing more of the modern lab into AMSE enhances our mission,” said AMSE director David Moore. “In addition to learning about our past, we hope visitors enjoy learning about the fascinating scope of research ongoing at ORNL.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Education, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Science, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: American Museum of Science and Energy, AMSE, Cassini, David Moore, DOE, exhibits, neutron science, neutrons, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, Robert French, space exploration, Spallation Neutron Source, supercomputing, Tiny Titan, Titan, U.S. Department of Energy

With help from two Oak Ridgers, UT students finish second in supercomputing competition

Posted at 9:37 am January 12, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

National Institute for Computational SciencesWith help from two Oak Ridgers, a team of students from the University of Tennessee recently captured second place at the Student Cluster Competition in New Orleans.

Part of the SC14 Supercomputing Conference, the competition is a real-time, non-stop, 48-hour challenge in which teams of undergraduates, high school students, or both assemble a small computer cluster on the exhibit floor and then race to demonstrate the greatest sustained performance across a series of applications while staying under a 3,120-watt power limit.

One of the team members is Erik Blokland, an Oak Ridge graduate, and the other is Vincent Jodoin, who is a junior at Oak Ridge High School and helping the team. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: computer cluster, Erik Blokland, National Institute for Computational Sciences, NICS, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge High School, SC14 Supercomputing Conference, Student Cluster Competition, supercomputing, Team VIBE, Tennessee Today, University of Tennessee, Vincent Jodoin, Vols in the Big Easy

Alexander: World’s fastest supercomputer will again be at ORNL

Posted at 10:09 am November 14, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Summit Supercomputing Press Conference

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, second from left, a Tennessee Republican, at a Friday morning press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, right; Senator Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, center; and representatives Bill Foster and Dan Lipinski. (Submitted photo)

 

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Note: This story was last updated at 11:25 a.m.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory will have the world’s fastest next-generation supercomputer, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander announced at a Friday morning press conference with U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said the new computer will provide five times the performance of Titan, the current system, and support advanced scientific and materials research to improve economic and national security.

The “next-generation hybrid supercomputer” will be called Summit, and it will be delivered in 2017, the senator said.

“Once again the world’s fastest computer will be in the United States, and once again it will be at Oak Ridge,” Alexander said. “Supercomputing has helped Tennessee become a center for advanced manufacturing with the arrival of new companies, including several in the auto industry, creating thousands of good-paying jobs. Tennessee can continue to thrive and create many more good jobs with the use of this new supercomputer.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Barack Obama, Bill Foster, central processing unit, Chuck Fleischmann, climate change science, combustion science, Cray, Dan Lipinski, DOE, energy storage, Ernest Moniz, graphic processing unit, hybrid supercomputer, IBM, Jeff Nichols, Lamar Alexander, nuclear power, Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, OLCF, ORNL, research, science, summit, supercomputer, supercomputing, technology, Titan, U.S. Department of Energy

UT professor, ORNL staff member to be honored for supercomputing accomplishments

Posted at 10:00 am October 10, 2013
By University of Tennessee Leave a Comment

Jack Dongarra

Jack Dongarra

KNOXVILLE—Jack Dongarra, distinguished professor of computer science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, is being honored for his leadership in high performance computing.

He will receive the Association for Computing Machinery-Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society Ken Kennedy Award on Nov. 19 in Denver at SC13, the International Conference on High Performance Computing.

Dongarra, who is also a distinguished research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is being recognized for designing and promoting standards for mathematical software used to solve numerical problems common to high-performance computing. His work has led to the development of major software libraries of algorithms and methods that boost performance and portability in high-performance computing environments. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories Tagged With: ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Architecture, ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Architecture and the Computer Society, algorithms, Association for Computing Machinery, Center for Information Technology Research, College of Engineering, Computer Society, high-performance computing, Innovative Computing Laboratory, Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society, International Conference on High Performance Computing, Jack Dongarra, Ken Kennedy, Ken Kennedy Award, LAPACK, LINPACK, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Rice University, SC13, software, supercomputing, Top500, University of Tennessee, UT, Vint Cerf, Wayne Davis

Picture: DOE director of economic impact, diversity visits ORNL

Posted at 5:57 pm August 10, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Dot Harris at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

From left, Dot Harris, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, and Michael Colbert, deputy director of DOE’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, listen as Research Alliance in Math and Science student Darius Degraffenried presents his research. (Photo by ORNL’s Jason Richards)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Dot Harris, director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory Thursday and Friday.

Harris spoke at the Research Alliance in Math and Science banquet Thursday evening, and she attended a RAMS poster session that preceded the dinner.

Her agenda also included visits to ORNL’s supercomputing facilities, Spallation Neutron Source, the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, and the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, as well as discussions on the lab’s education, outreach, partnerships, and small business programs. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate, Dot Harris, Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, ORNL, RAMS, Research Alliance in Math and Science, Spallation Neutron Source, supercomputing, U.S. Department of Energy

NNSA: President’s budget request includes $326M for UPF at Y-12

Posted at 12:45 pm April 17, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Uranium Processing Facility

The proposed Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above. (Submitted image)

President Barack Obama’s budget request for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 includes $326 million for the Uranium Processing Facility project at the Y-12 National Security Complex, federal officials said this week.

The president’s proposed budget, which still has to be considered by Congress, was released last week. The National Nuclear Security Administration released details on Monday.

The NNSA has also posted highlights of the president’s budget request. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: 9212, budget request, contracting, dismantlement, engineering, highly enriched uranium, LEP, life extension programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, nonproliferation, President Barack Obama, science, security, supercomputing, Tennessee, U.S. Navy, UPF, uranium processing facility, weapons activities, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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