Grant Secures National Institute for UT

Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representative John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn. 2nd) today said that the new National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) to be founded at the University of Tennessee (UT) will further elevate UT as one of the leading centers for advanced scientific research in the United States.  Made possible through a $16 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NIMBioS will bring together leading biologists and mathematicians from across the country and around the world to examine the interrelationships between mathematics and biology with an emphasis on discovering real world applications.

“This is great news for the University and the entire state of Tennessee,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, former President of the University of Tennessee.  “The new math and biology institute will help us build on the brainpower in our state so we can stay competitive with the rest of the world and keep our jobs from going overseas.  With the innovations happening in the Oak Ridge Corridor and the University of Tennessee, our state is securing its status as one of the biggest pioneers of science and technology research in the country.”

“The National Science Foundation has made another tremendous investment that will benefit not only the state of Tennessee but the entire country,” Sen. Bob Corker said.  “Whether it’s in the area of biofuels research, advanced computing or now biomathematics, UT is a national leader in innovative research that is seeking solutions to some of the world’s most pressing and complex problems.  I appreciate the continued support of the NSF and all the partners who have made this new institute a reality.”

“I want to congratulate the University of Tennessee for being chosen to host an important new National Institute.  Competition for Federal funds is stronger than ever, and this award speaks volumes about the scientific research and expertise at UT and in East Tennessee,” Congressman Duncan said.

NIMBioS will take advantage of the resources located in the region, utilizing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a testing ground for new discoveries and the park’s Twin Creek’s Science Center.

In addition to the NSF, NIMBioS’ partners include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).

The NSF is an independent federal agency that supports research and education across all fields of science and engineering.  Earlier this year, the NSF awarded UT a $65 million grant to establish the National Institute for Computational Sciences (NICS) at UT and build Kraken, a state of the art supercomputer, at the UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Joint Institute for Computational Sciences (JICS).  Computing experts at UT and ORNL will help scientists at NIMBioS utilize supercomputing in their research.