The University of Toledo and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) formalized a collaborative research relationship with a signing ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
UToledo President Gregory Postel and LLNL Director Kim Budil signed a collaboration agreement that calls for the institutions to exchange science and technology ideas, to support student opportunities and internships, and to pursue research and development in areas like solar energy and other renewable energy technologies, climate and environmental science, biomedical sciences and hydrogen.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director Kim Budil and UToledo President Gregory Postel sign a collaboration agreement Wednesday.
“UToledo is proud to expand our relationship with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,” Postel said. “Our researchers have already been working together closely on projects related to water quality, medical research, solar energy and cybersecurity, and this agreement opens a door to explore additional areas of collaboration.”
“We are pleased to further build and enhance our collaboration with The University of Toledo,” Budil said. “By partnering in critical areas of science, technology and education, we can amplify our impact and make meaningful advances that benefit our communities and beyond.”
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, based in Livermore, Calif., is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 National Laboratories. These preeminent facilities offer cutting-edge equipment and resources that often go beyond the scope of academic and industrial institutions.
Lawrence Livermore and UToledo researchers have been collaborating on projects for many years but greatly expanded collaborations after October 2019, when UToledo hosted National Lab Day in partnership with U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Mike Witherell, a Toledo native and chief of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Directors of 10 National Laboratories, as well as lead program officials from these and other laboratories, traveled to campus to discuss ways to collaborate with UToledo.
Today, UToledo is working with seven National Laboratories on research projects addressing a wide range of global challenges. The University signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in 2019, specifically to collaborate on research into the advanced design and manufacturing of lightweight, strong, intelligent materials for the automotive industry. In addition, the University has an agreement in place with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the exchange of scientists between UToledo and PNNL.
“The collaborative research relationship between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and The University of Toledo will bring cutting-edge facilities, technology and among the sharpest minds in our nation to our doorstep in Northwest Ohio,” Kaptur said. “The partnership will provide our local scholars and scientists untold benefits as The University of Toledo, under the leadership of President Gregory Postel, further builds its profile and pedigree as a leading research university. Our National Laboratories are the nation’s crown jewel of scientific investment and innovation, and we cannot do enough to connect their work to our universities and business in Northern Ohio.”
