For the last five years, scientists and engineers at Vanderbilt University have been collaborating closely with colleagues at other public and private universities and research centers throughout Tennessee in an effort to increase the state’s energy research capacity.
This collaboration was made possible by a five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation (NSF) cooperative agreement Tennessee won in 2010 for a proposal called TN-SCORE (Tennessee Solar Conversion and Storage using Outreach, Research and Education). The project, which has focused on improving the state’s research infrastructure and capacity, has resulted in 239 new research publications, an additional $19.7 million in new research funding and the creation of two start-up companies. Not only has it raised the research profile of the state, but it has also created a model platform for the sharing of knowledge, expertise and resources across Tennessee.