Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

Elements of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asset now known as Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) were originally conceived by University of Tennessee physics professor Dr. William G. Pollard to cultivate a peacetime purpose for the nuclear science generated by the Manhattan Project. This vision became a reality on Oct. 17, 1946 when the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies (ORINS) received a charter of incorporation from the state of Tennessee. Although the name later changed to Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), the organization's mission generally remained the same as the programs it managed evolved over time.

In 1992, DOE consolidated many of these legacy programs into what became known as ORISE. DOE selected ORAU to manage the initial ORISE contract and ORAU is honored to have continuously served DOE and the DOE national laboratory system in this capacity for the past 25 years.