The University of Chicago

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Crescat scientia; Vita Excolatur

University-Argonne Research Centers

Centers leveraging the resources of the University of Chicago and of Argonne National Laboratory enable cutting-edge research not possible at either institution acting alone. These include:

Center for the Study of Thermonuclear Astrophysical Flashes (FLASH Center)

The “Flash Center” aims to solve the long-standing problem of thermonuclear flashes on the surfaces of compact stars such as neutron stars and white dwarf stars, and in the interior of white dwarfs (i.e., Type Ia supernovae). The Center is based at the University of Chicago, and involves collaboration between faculty and staff from several University of Chicago departments and institutes, the Mathematics and Computer Science division of Argonne National Laboratory, and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; the center also collaborates with a number of individual scientists at other institutions, including the University of Arizona, the University of California at Santa Cruz, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and the three DOE/DP laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory. The center is one of five Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Academic Strategic Alliances Program (ASAP) centers.

Climate Systems Center

The Climate Systems Center is interested in the grand challenge problems of climate science from global warming to Neo-proterozoic glaciation to Martian paleoclimate. Because of the complex, nonlinear and interacting nature of the climate system, models play an important role in the subject, so we hope to advance the state of the art in climate simulation software. An additional goal is to smooth the way for small work groups to do climate modeling using atmosphere-ocean general circulation models.

Computation Institute*

The University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory Computation Institute addresses the most challenging problems arising in the use of strategic computation and communications across a broad spectrum of intellectual activities including the biological, physical, social, and financial sciences, medicine, law, the arts, and the humanities. It is motivated by the tremendous opportunities inherent in new approaches to research based on the large-scale application of computation, data, and communications, and the strategic importance to the University and Argonne of developing the capabilities required to exploit those opportunities.

The Computation Institute is focusing its efforts in three principal areas: Deep Supercomputing, Data Intensive Computing, and Next Generation Cybertools.

Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources

CARS is a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary consortium managed by the University of Chicago Center for Advanced Radiation Sources. CARS represents five institutional members (The University of Chicago, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago) and four scientific groupings, each devoted to a particular research area. The goal of CARS is to develop X-ray beam lines at the APS and to make them available to the scientific community as National Synchrotron Resources for frontier research. CARS operates five beamlines on three sectors for biological sciences; chemistry and materials research; and geo-, soil and environmental science, respectively.

Consortium for Nanoscience Research*

The University of Chicago-Argonne National Laboratory Consortium for Nanoscience Research (CNR) provides a focal point for fundamental interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biology, chemistry, materials science, and physics.

Emergency Resuscitation Center at the UofC and Argonne

The Emergency Resuscitation Center aims to save 100,000 lives each year by giving emergency care providers more time to resuscitate victims of sudden death due to cardiac arrest back to full human condition.

Great Lakes Regional Center of Excellence (GLRCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases

The GLRCE, a collaborative effort including researchers from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Argonne National Laboratory, and 16 additional upper-Midwestern universities, hospitals, and research organizations, will apply the tools of modern science to mankind's battle against infectious disease.

Howard T. Ricketts Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL)

The Ricketts Laboratory provides a safe and secure facility for research on the prevention and treatment of infectious disease. Built and operated by the University of Chicago, it is sited on land owned by the U.S. Department of Energy at Argonne National Laboratory. The project was funded primarily by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) with additional support from the State of Illinois and others. It is one of 13 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories funded under NIAID’s biodefense initiative, which supports the design and construction of such laboratories as regional resources for research and development of improved defenses against emerging and re-emerging diseases.

Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics

JINA, an NSF Physics Frontier Center, is a collaborative effort of the University of Notre Dame, the University of Chicago, and Michigan State University in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory. The scientific goal of the institute is to study the diverse nuclear processes that provide energy generation in stars, trigger supernova events, and are responsible for the synthesis of heavy elements in astrophysical environments.

Joint Theory Institute*

The Joint Theory Institute (JTI) is a multi-disciplinary research institution jointly supported at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory to enhance collaborative research between both institutions in the broad area of theory. The JTI promotes new opportunities for close interactions among University of Chicago and Argonne researchers that advance theory and the integration of these advances into the scientific activity at both institutions. To accomplish its goals, the JTI will sponsor visitor programs, workshops, and research projects at the forefront of theory that facilitate interactions and initiates collaborations between the University and Argonne staff. All JTI funding for proposals currently comes from discretionary investments made by Argonne and the University.

National Microbial Pathogen Data Resource Center (NMPDR)

To accelerate research into the biology and evolution of deadly microorganisms and develop methods for their control, the National Microbial Pathogen Data Resource Center will provide infectious disease researchers a single Web-based entry point to all relevant organism-related data necessary for their advanced research. It will directly support the national effort to develop new vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Bioengineering Institute for Advanced Surgery and Endoscopy

BIASE is a collaboration between The University of Chicago Department of Surgery and Argonne National Laboratory to develop joint research and engineering capabilities that will bring new technologies to the practice of surgery and endoscopy. The project focuses on three themes: visualization, advanced instrumentation and biomaterials.

*Centers denoted with an asterisk report directly to the Vice President for Research and for National Laboratories.