Center for Energy and Environmental Resources

(CEER) serves as the central liaison for energy and environmental research, education, and public service at the university.

The center focuses on efficient and economical use of energy and on ensuring a cleaner environment by developing, in cooperation with industry, processes and technologies that minimize waste and conserve natural resources.

CEER is located in the Electromechanics and Energy Building at the J. J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin, where it occupies over 43,000 square feet of labs and office space. Over its history, CEER has worked with 25 departments and 10 colleges at the university, collaborating on research projects, supporting graduate students, and stimulating education activities related to energy. 

Center for Energy and Environmental Resources website 

Center for Electrochemistry

The CEC was established in 2006 to capitalize on a half century of excellence in electrochemistry at UT-Austin to foster collaborative research programs in the electrochemical sciences. Our broad mission is to advance research and solve problems, fundamental or applied, related to transfer of electrons or ions at interfaces. The CEC offers a strong coupling between fundamental electrochemistry and materials science, fields that are the foundation for widespread applications in diverse fields such as energy and health. We are comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of more than 250 faculty, staff, and student researchers spanning the chemistry, materials, and engineering aspects of electrochemical science. 

Center for Electrochemistry website

Center for Materials for Water and Energy Systems (M-WET)

Synthetic polymer membranes are widely used to purify water, mainly because they are more energy efficient than competing (e.g., thermally-based) technologies. However, water in energy applications is often heavily contaminated with a plethora of diverse organic and inorganic components (e.g., produced water from oil and gas production). Current membranes were not designed (and are unsuitable) for such applications. Basic science knowledge gaps in thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of complex aqueous mixtures at interfaces, and the effect of such mixtures on the interfacial properties, limit our ability to translate fundamental understanding to transformative materials design for energy/water applications. Moreover, current methods for synthesis and precision assembly of novel materials far from equilibrium prevent preparation of membranes for highly selective decontamination or resource recovery from such complex aqueous mixtures.

M-WET will fill these gaps in the understanding of fluids and materials to catalyze design of novel surfaces, highly selective solute/fluid interactions, mesoscopic structures, and membranes for energy applications.  Our strategy bridges the chemistry, materials and

Center for Materials for Water and Energy Systems (M-WET) website

Center for Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy Technologies (NASCENT)

This NSF Nanosystems ERC entitled Nanomanufacturing Systems CENTer (NASCENT) was set up with the vision to create and validate a scalable and cost-effective nanomanufacturing infrastructure to enable future nanotech factories. This vision requires us to build a bridge from science to scalability as captured in the illustration below. 

NASCENT is focused on creating nanomanufacturing systems, nanoscale materials and processes, inline and offline metrology, and functional data analytics for yield management. The resulting nanoscale manufacturing infrastructure is enabling applications in mobile computing technologies which are impacting all aspects of healthcare, education, commerce, communications, computing and lifestyle.

NASCENT develops high throughput, high yield and versatile nanomanufacturing systems to take nanoscience discoveries from the lab to the marketplace. It is a multi-university research center led by UT.

Center for Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy Technologies (NASCENT) website

CISTAR

CISTAR’s vision is o create a transformative engineered system to convert light hydrocarbons from shale resources to chemicals and transportation fuels in smaller, modular, local, and highly networked processing plants.

CISTAR website

Dell Pediatric Research Institute

At Dell Pediatric Research Institute, part of the Department of Pediatrics, faculty across disciplines partner with health care providers to conduct research that translates into new products, programs and treatments that improve children’s health and pediatric care.

Dell Pediatric Research Institute website

Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care

The Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care aims to develop health care leaders who design, implement and refine integrated models of value-based care that continuously improve patient outcomes and reduce waste. The department brings together clinical specialties in a new form of academic organization, encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration in education, clinical care and research.

Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care website

Energy Institute

The Energy Institute leverages The University of Texas at Austin's breadth and depth of expertise to educate the energy leaders of tomorrow, foster innovation and inform the policy-making process through rigorous, interdisciplinary research. 

At The University of Texas at Austin, one of the world’s leading research institutions, the Energy Institute is the gateway to UT’s top scholars and experts working across the entire spectrum of energy. We facilitate interdisciplinary research and engagement to transform the future of energy worldwide.

More than 350 energy researchers in schools, departments and research centers throughout the UT Austin campus are engaged in path-breaking research across the spectrum of energy issues.

Energy Institute website

Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine

The Institute provides a focal point for impactful activities in research, education, and service in biomaterials, drug delivery and regenerative medicine - key areas to transforming health care.

Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine website

Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs

ILS oversees doctoral programs in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Mircobiology. UT Austin also offers separately-administered programs in Neuroscience, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Plant Biology.

Students in the three ILS Ph.D. programs have access to over 130 research faculty affiliated with the Colleges of Natural Sciences, Engineering, Pharmacy, and the adjacent Dell Medical School.

The ILS graduate programs provide common and specialized coursework, multiple lab rotations, a nurturing community, individualized advising, and professional skills training during the first academic year to establish a solid foundation for carrying out cutting-edge research. Each program provides advanced training in specific disciplines aimed at preparing the next generation of scientific leaders. We welcome applicants from diverse educational backgrounds and professional pathways.

Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs website

James R. Fair Process Science and Technology Center

To promote advances in process science and technology and workforce education by leveraging government and industrial resources in a highly collaborative program, across three focus areas: Separations Technology Development, Process Optimization, Control, and Safety, Energy and Environmental Research.

James R. Fair Process Science and Technology Center website 

Microelectronics Research Center

The Microelectronics Research Center (MRC) performs education, research and development in materials and electronic devices.

MRC National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network is part of one of the largest and most diverse university semiconductor research programs in the U.S. with a focus in materials and electronic devices.

The center provides students with training and research experience in novel materials of interest to the integrated circuit industry, optoelectronics and nanophotonics, novel electronic devices and nanostructures, and interconnects and packaging for academic as well as industrial users.

Microelectronics Research Center website

Molecular Pharmaceutics & Drug Delivery

Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery is comprised of those disciplines that are involved with dosage forms in pharmaceutical practice. Sub-disciplines within the division include: 1) Formulation Science in which physics and chemistry are used to prepare effective dosage forms, 2) Biopharmaceutics in which the interactions between the dosage form, itself, and various biological factors in the persons taking the dosage form are studied, and 3) Pharmacokinetics in which the time course of drugs in the body and the factors influencing the time course are studied analytically and mathematically.

Molecular Pharmaceutics & Drug Delivery website

Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: An NSF MRSEC

The Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: An NSF MRSEC seeks to extend the traditional paradigm of materials research beyond the study of behavior in or near equilibrium to encompass the understanding and control of materials over extended temporal and spatial scales. The Center supports research on nanocomposite materials that combine inorganic and organic components, with applications in energy storage and filtration membranes, and on approaches for exploiting light to achieve dynamic, quantum control of materials. 

Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: An NSF MRSEC website

Nanotechnologies Area in the UT|Portugal Program

The areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology have demonstrated to have a tremendous impact in areas as health, the environment, energy, transportation, and information technology.

This program area establishes a new research and innovation agendas, involving complex materials engineering and science focused on an integrative approach to nanoscience, over diversified applications. Further research will focus on the discovery and development of innovative nanomaterials, with a range of unique properties suitable for applications in space applications, sensing, the internet of things, information technology and energy harvesting and storage, with the engagement of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) and other research organizations in Portugal, as well as the various related initiatives at UT Austin, including the NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) for Dynamics and Control of Materials (CDCM). 

Nanotechnologies Area in the UT|Portugal Program website

Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences

The Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences is an organized research unit created to foster the development of interdisciplinary programs in computational sciences and engineering (CSE), mathematical modeling, applied mathematics, software engineering, and computational visualization. The Institute currently supports 12 research centers and alliances and nine research groups, and with additional units still in the planning stages. It also supports seven major programs including the following:

  • The Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (CSEM) is a graduate degree program leading to the MS and PhD degrees in CSEM.
  • The Oden Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports outstanding computational scientists who have recently completed doctoral studies in an area relevant to research conducted at the Institute.
  • The J. Tinsley Oden Faculty Fellowship Research Program brings outstanding researchers and scholars from academia, government laboratories, and industry to collaborate with Oden Institute faculty and students.
  • The Moncrief Endowed Positions Program is dedicated to recruiting outstanding junior faculty committed to research and academic work in CSE.
  • The Moncrief Grand Challenge Awards Program provides resources for UT Austin faculty to work on the Grand Challenges in CSE that effect the competitiveness of the nation.
  • The Moncrief Undergraduate Summer Internship Program supports qualified undergraduate students to work with Oden Institute faculty on ongoing research initiatives during the summer months.
  • Oden Institute Undergraduate Certificate Program in Computational Science and Engineering provides junior and senior level students at UT Austin an opportunity for in-depth study in CSE.

Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences website

Solar Powered Future

(SPF50) between The University of Texas at Austin and Colorado State University is doing research to make PV electricity a major source of energy. Focused on the development of PV devices with unprecedented low-cost and high efficiency, research in the center involves new PV materials, processing strategies and device structures.

The center is funded by the National Science Foundation through its Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) program and the center’s associated Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) member companies.

Solar Powered Future website

Texas Advanced Computing Center

TACC) designs and operates some of the world's most powerful computing resources. The center's mission is to enable discoveries that advance science and society through the application of advanced computing technologies.

Texas Advanced Computing Center website

Texas Materials Institute

TMI was established in 1998 to ensure that UT-Austin achieves excellence in graduate education and research in the broad field of materials. The role of TMI is to be a “virtual” department that guides the destiny of materials science and engineering on the UT campus without imposing the limitations or boundaries inherent to departmental structures.

TMI operates the materials science and engineering graduate program, provides the instrumentation necessary to conduct modern materials research and promotes interdisciplinary research in materials science and engineering.

Texas Materials Institute

Texas-Wisconsin-California Control Consortium website

(TWCCC) carries out joint industrial-academic research in the areas of systems modeling, monitoring, control, optimization, and data science. 

It’s the largest program of its type in the U.S. with 12 companies, several agencies, 20 full-time graduate students and four postdoctoral researchers participating in the program, supervised by world renowned Professors.

Applications have included distillation (batch and continuous), crystallization, packed bed catalytic reactors, polymerization, pressure swing adsorption, polymer processing, biosystems, and microelectronics processing. A number of projects are facilitated by internships, where the student spends several months or more at a manufacturing or R&D site.  TWCCC graduates are highly sought after by industry.

The TWCCC was established in 1993 in the Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas-Austin (UT-Austin). The consortium expanded its activities in 1995 to include the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). In 2018 the consortium expanded to the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB).

Texas-Wisconsin-California Control Consortium website