National Lab Day Spotlights Federal, University Research Collaboration

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – U.S. Congressmen Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman and directors from seven Department of Energy national labs will participate in National Lab Day, Tuesday, April 18, hosted by the University of Arkansas.

National Lab Day brings leaders in energy research together to discuss issues and new discoveries. The Department of Energy’s 17 national labs play a critical role in providing heightened research capacity and promoting research collaboration with higher education and industry.

National Lab Day 2017 will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the University of Arkansas’ Reynolds Center. The program includes keynote speaker Arun Majumdar, founding director of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency ­– Energy, and remarks from Rep. Steve Womack, honorary co-chairman of the event, and Rep. Bruce Westerman.

“National Lab Day at the University of Arkansas brings together the Department of Energy’s National Labs and their groundbreaking research with the next generation of scientists,” Womack said. “This is a terrific opportunity to expose innovators at the top of their fields to Third District students and faculty, and I look forward to some great discussions.”

The Department of Energy National Labs is a network of 17 facilities across the nation that perform strategic scientific and technological research often beyond the capacity of academic and industrial institutions.

National Lab researchers work on strategic initiatives including renewable energy, energy storage, nuclear security, cybersecurity, defense and bioscience.

This annual event is a unique opportunity to learn about the National Labs from the scientists who work at them. Some of the session topics include: Data analytics, bioscience and healthcare, renewable energy, biofuels and energy security.

The University of Arkansas has a strong record of research collaborations with national labs and the Department of Energy. In fiscal year 2016, university researchers received $3.26 million in new and continuing grants for research on energy, physics, photosynthesis, materials science, chemistry and geosciences.

Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development, said Department of Energy funding, along with the facilities available at the National Labs, have played an important role in the work of University of Arkansas scientists and researchers.

“The research we do at the University of Arkansas, from cybersecurity, to data analytics, to alternative energy to advanced materials research, aligns with the priorities of the Department of Energy and the National Labs,” Rankin said. “The support and collaboration they provide is critical to our continuing success. We are very thankful to congressmen Womack and Westerman for their help in bringing National Lab Day to Arkansas.”

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.