Interdisciplinary Research

The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education unites resources and capabilities from the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to promote advanced research and to provide innovative solutions to global challenges in energy, engineering, and computation under the umbrella of the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII). You can learn more in-depth information about our interdisciplinary PhD programs below, and find answers to our Frequently Asked Questions anytime.

PhD Programs

Seeking to create opportunities for exceptional students to engage in interdisciplinary research and education, the Bredesen Center offers doctoral degrees in the following areas:

Graduate students in these programs perform interdisciplinary research by joining ORNL and UT teams focused on a diverse set of challenges related to energy and to applied data sciences. Graduate coursework specializing in a variety of fields is complemented by studies in policy, entrepreneurship, economics, and outreach to broaden research skills and experiences.

ESE graduate students further engage in interdisciplinary coursework and research with a focus on science and engineering challenges related to the production, distribution, and consumption of energy.
DSE graduate students focus on a core data science curriculum while specializing in a domain science field of research.

Topical areas of the Bredesen Center programs have been chosen to resonate with Department of Energy priorities and industry needs, integrating graduate coursework from multiple disciplines, while providing deep expertise in a chosen specialty. The partnership with ORNL provides graduate researchers unique resources and advanced opportunities to collaborate on a variety of global energy and computational challenges involving science, engineering, health care, and national security.