UT Knoxville Wins $16M Math and Biology Center

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The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of Tennessee Knoxville a $16 million grant to start the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, or NIMBioS. UT Knoxville won the award over 18 other large research universities. The new center will be directed by Louis Gross, a professor of math and ecology and evolutionary biology.

NIMBioS is an exceptional addition to our campus,” said Jan Simek, UT Knoxville interim chancellor. “Our success in this competition reflects our growing reputation as one of the nation’s top research universities. All of us are proud of this new opportunity, and we all look forward to the impact this center will have on our campus, our region and ultimately, on our nation and the world.”

The funds will create an institute on the UT Knoxville campus that will attract over 600 researchers a year. The new institute will include partners from the US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Homeland Security, IBM and ESRI.

At the start of the 21st century, biologists will become increasingly quantitative and interdisciplinary,” said Collins. “This new institute has a broad mandate to pursue excellence at the interface of the life sciences and mathematics. In fulfilling this mission it complements previous and current efforts to stimulate quantitative thinking in biology while fostering interdisciplinary research and education. NIMBioS is an exciting addition to an increasing NSF portfolio at the interface of the life and physical sciences.”

For more info on the research goals of the new center, read the full article here.