The Science Alliance is a Center of Excellence located within the College of Arts and Sciences that formally links UT Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory science efforts. In 1984 when Governor Lamar Alexander began the Centers of Excellence program, the Science Alliance was the university’s first—and largest—center. In 1984 it received State funding of $3.4 million and an additional approximately $1.7 in UT matching funds. It was one of 13 Centers of Excellence funded by the State of Tennessee in the initial funding cycle. The core of the Science Alliance concept is the Distinguished Scientists program, through which internationally prominent scientists are jointly appointed to faculty positions at the university and research positions at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Current scientists at the university and the national laboratory are, additionally, named collaborating scientists through the Science Alliance. The Science Alliance also administers joint research institutes, provides graduate research stipends, and provides major equipment purchases and acquisitions beneficial to collaboration between the university and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The 2005 establishment of Governor’s Chairs expanded the initial concepts of the Science Alliance, and will, over time, supplant the Science Alliance.