Saint Louis University Joins Oak Ridge Associated Universities Consortium
National Consortium Offers New Opportunities for SLU Researchers, Students
Saint Louis University has joined the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a consortium of more than 160 colleges and universities that works to provide innovative solutions to advance priorities in science, education, security, and health. SLU's application to join ORAU as a sponsoring institution, led by the School of Science and Engineering, was accepted at ORAU's annual meeting in March, along with three other universities.
The consortium is connected to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a federally funded research and development center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that is home to several of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. Acceptance into the consortium provides SLU researchers with additional resources and opportunities for collaboration.
To join ORAU, a university must be among the nation’s top research universities, as measured by inclusion in the top Carnegie categories or by inclusion in the top 200 institutions ranked by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) R&D expenditure table. SLU met both requirements in 2024. In February, it was announced that SLU earned the highly revered “R1” designation in the 2025 Research Activity Designations from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
ORAU supports and advances scientific research in collaboration with more than 160 member institutions. The organization’s expertise includes providing scientific and technical staffing support, supporting scientific and technical peer reviews and conducting evaluations to inform research investments and programs.
Universities in ORAU also must offer doctoral degrees in multiple STEM disciplines, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for a minimum of five years before joining the consortium. Of SLU’s 49 doctoral programs, 15 are in STEM fields.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies to advance national priorities in science, education, workforce development, public health, and worker health and safety since its founding in 1946.
In 1992, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) was established to conduct activities on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies and operated under a management and operating contract by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU launched a STEM Accelerator in 2023 to address challenges in STEM education, training, research, and innovation. This diverse network of two- and four-year academic institutions, industry, non-profit, professional organizations, labor unions and government have partnered with the aim of addressing the toughest challenges in STEM education, training, research, and innovation.
Latest Newslink
- Atlas Week Speaker Shares History, Benefits of Public HealthDaniel Dawes, J.D., had a message for the attendees in the Wool Ballroom on Thursday night - keep doing what you're doing. Dawes, a health equity and policy expert, delivered the 2025 Atlas Week Signature Symposium. His remarks were tied to the theme of this year's Atlas Week - "From Inequality to Justice: Transforming Global Health through Social Change."
- Colson Whitehead Receives the 2025 St. Louis Literary AwardPulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead received the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award from Saint Louis University on Wednesday, April 9.
- Jhumpa Lahiri to Receive the 2026 St. Louis Literary AwardPulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri will receive the 2026 St. Louis Literary Award from Saint Louis University. Lahiri is the author of the novels “The Namesake,” “The Lowland,” and “In Altre Parole,” among others.
- SLU's Aerodynamic Design Team Sets Off for 2025 Design, Build, Fly CompetitionSaint Louis University’s Aerodynamic Design Team is heading to Tucson, Arizona, this weekend to compete in the 2024-25 Design/Build/Fly Competition. The AIAA Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Design Engineering and Flight Test Technical Committees event began in 1996 as an opportunity for university students to apply real-world aircraft design experience by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytical studies.
- NSA Designates Saint Louis University a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber DefenseSaint Louis University has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command. The CAE-CD designation identifies institutions committed to producing world-class cybersecurity professionals with the knowledge and skills to reduce risks to national cyberinfrastructure.
- SLU Chess Team Wins Spring 2025 Collegiate Chess League TitleThe Saint Louis University A Chess Team defeated the University of Missouri in the finals to win the Spring 2025 Collegiate Chess League. This win is SLU's fourth Collegiate Chess League title in the last five seasons.
