WORKING TOGETHER

Collaborations

The university strengthened relationships with other universities and research centers, which expanded opportunities and access to resources.

• University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston
• Johnson Space Center
• Pacific Northwest National Lab
• International Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials

University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston

The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston (UTMB) created a new degree program combining medical and molecular studies.

The program will focus on graduating high-level physician-scientists rigorously trained to push the boundaries of medical science and to advance human health. Graduates will receive a medical degree from UTMB and a doctor’s degree in cell and molecular biology from The University of Texas at Austin.

Graduates of the M.D./Ph.D. program are expected to become medical researchers who are uniquely prepared to study issues of human health.

 “A medical researcher might be interested in how RNA folds but a physician-scientist would likely be interested in how misfolding causes a particular disease,” said Dr. Stan Lemon, director of UTMB’s Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, who is leading the medical curriculum for the new degree program. “Whether these individuals are working in basic or applied science, the focus would be on improving human health.”  

Johnson Space Center

In spring 2005 the university and the Johnson Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration agreed to conduct joint research involving engineering and natural sciences faculty.

The five-year agreement strengthens collaborative research efforts between JSC and the university and provides for research opportunities for faculty and educational experiences for students at JSC.

As part of the agreement, University of Texas at Austin faculty members will collaborate in research projects using JSC and university facilities.

University researchers already work with JSC scientists and engineers on many projects including advanced propulsion systems and programs such as those in biomedical engineering and aeronautical engineering.

Pacific Northwest National Lab

J.W. Rogers, chief research officer at Pacific Northwest National Labs, left, marks the signing of an Affiliate Scientist Program with Juan Sanchez, the vice president for research at The University of Texas at Austin. In between is John M. White, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Texas, who has conducted research at PNNL.

The university established an affiliate scientist program with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. It will allow researchers from each institution to more easily take advantage of expertise and equipment that each offers.

The Affiliate Scientist Program provides a framework that select researchers can use to collaborate with researchers at PNNL to further the strategic interests of both institutions. Administrative matters, conflicts of interests and intellectual property rights will be addressed in pre-established agreements to facilitate collaboration.

Officials from the institutions said their scientists should find many areas of research for collaboration.

“The university’s programs in computer sciences, engineering, chemistry and geosciences are good matches for the signature programs at PNNL,” said Juan Sanchez, vice president for research at The University of Texas at Austin.

International Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials

Scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin and at Mexican research institutions will collaborate in nanotechnology and materials research with the formation of the International Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (ICNAM).

The center will organize workshops in nanotechnology and materials science, create networks of researchers and promote the participation of industry in Texas and Mexico.

The Mexican institutions involved include the Center on Advance Materials and the National Council for Science and Technology.

It also will provide training courses on new techniques available within the facilities of The University of Texas at Austin, particularly those of the Texas Materials Institute.

“We have much to offer each other,” said Miguel Jose Yacaman, professor of Materials Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, who will head the center. “Our collaborations will have the potential to create cross-border commercial enterprises.”