ORAU

🚨 NEW POD! Are black soldier flies the superheroes of the insect world? This episode of Further Together takes a dive into an ORAU-Directed Research and Development Grant-funded project led by Holly Holt, Ph.D., ORAU research specialist, who teamed up with Jeff Tomberlin, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Etymology at Texas A&M University and Charity Owings, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee. Black soldier flies are said to be voracious decomposers, feeding off anything organic. As they feed, they convert organic waste into insect biomass that can be used as feed for various livestock, such as poultry, swine, and even pets. The residual that's left over after digestion is a replacement for chemical fertilizer. The conversation was fascinating! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4aey4U1 #FurtherTogether Photo: The Guardian

⚾PITCH YOUR PROJECTS⚾ The Common Fund Data Ecosystem Training Center invites you to submit a project pitch in the 7th annual Bio-IT FAIR Data Hackathon! The hackathon will take place in Boston May 18-19, 2026, with a focus on using open-source tools and adhering to FAIR data principles. We are particularly interested in projects that utilize or integrate with CFDE tools and data aiming to improve interoperability between CFDE datasets as well as external datasets. The Training Center has limited travel funds available for individuals who need support and are willing to serve as team leads on selected projects. Please fill out the following form by January 9th, 2026, to pitch your project for the hackathon: https://bit.ly/3MI9u3P. #FurtherTogether

🚧INSIDE THE NUCLEAR ACADEMIC ROADMAP One of the priorities of the ORAU-led Nuclear Academic Roadmap is support for a strong academic pipeline and career pathway development. Recommendations in this area include stackable credentials and certificates, expansion of experiential learning activities, integration of advanced nuclear technologies into the curriculum and support of non-traditional career transitions. Read all of the recommendations here: https://bit.ly/48jM1i0 #FurtherTogether

🎄It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at ORAU. Elves on both our main and south campuses decorated Christmas trees this week. Check out their amazing handiwork. Thanks to all for decking the halls! 🎀

ORAU offers the technical knowledge and proven capability to design and develop comprehensive technology solutions to solve complex problems. Our product development capability is informed by subject matter expertise in data capture, management, analytics, visualization, and reporting. Click the link below to learn more 🔽 🔽 🔽 https://bit.ly/43KpYwW #FurtherTogether

🚨 NEW POD! Ultra-processed foods, like packaged snacks, frozen meals and hot dogs, have become dietary staples due to their convenience, affordability and aggressive marketing. However, these foods have low to no nutritional value and can contribute to significant health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and colorectal cancer. In this episode of Further Together, three of ORAU’s subject matter experts – Diane Krause, Brenda Blunt and Jennifer Reynolds – talk about a recently published white paper on social listening and perceptions of ultra-processed foods. Improving diet quality is a critical goal of the Make America Healthy Again agenda promulgated the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Our experts talk in detail about the white paper and what their findings mean for future research and policy initiatives. Listen: https://bit.ly/4iEBMZ6 #FurtherTogether

Thanks to the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC) for sharing this memory of the great Nuclear Workforce Training & Education panel moderated by our own Michelle Goodson, SHRM-SCP during the ETEC Nuclear Opportunities Workshop earlier this year. #NuclearWorkforce

🛑 Inside The Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap Vocational and technical nuclear training programs face several challenges, and present opportunities to make improvements. The ORAU-led Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap makes recommendations for improving nuclear training programs by raising awareness of nuclear energy careers, updating curricula and laboratory equipment, attracting qualified faculty, and improving public perceptions of nuclear energy. Read the full list of recommendations and next steps here: https://bit.ly/4gQE1HL #FurtherTogether

📰 ON OUR BLOG! Ultra-processed foods are aggressively marketed and widely consumed because of their convenience but have low to no nutritional benefit, and are linked to diabetes, heart disease and early mortality. The Make America Healthy Again initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is focused on improving understanding of processed and ultra-processed foods. ORAU’s health education experts weigh in on what people are saying online about these food and policies related to them. Check it out: https://bit.ly/3MgwUNA #FurtherTogether

🎁The holiday season is officially underway. What's on your agenda for Black Friday?