National Security and Emergency Management

ORISE prepares DOE and other government agencies by managing and conducting programs, studies, research, exercises and training related to national security and emergency preparedness.

Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site

ORISE provides expertise in the medical management of radiation incidents through the operation of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS), a dedicated DOE facility located in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Worker Health Studies

ORISE provides DOE and the scientific community with important information regarding the long-term health outcomes affecting current and former energy workers.

Health Communication and Training

ORISE collaborates with federal, state and local agencies to provide health communication and training solutions that enhance the well-being of the public and the nation’s workers.

Scientific Peer Review

ORISE manages a credible and customizable peer review process that is helping DOE and other government agencies make informed decisions about the quality of the science they pursue.

University Radioactive Ion Beam Consortium

The University Radioactive Ion Beam (UNIRIB) consortium consists of eight member universities that partner to perform basic nuclear physics research using the fast-growing technique of radioactive ion beams.

Scientific Research Opportunities

ORISE manages research participation programs at the undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate and faculty levels at DOE and other government facilities across the United States.

Climate and Atmospheric Research

Through the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, ORISE works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to perform research focused on air quality, contaminant dispersion and climate.

Environmental Assessments and Health Physics

ORISE instills confidence in environmental cleanup through survey assessments, health physics evaluations and hands-on, laboratory-based training in the radiation sciences.

Climate and Atmospheric Research

Through the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, ORISE works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to perform air quality, contaminant dispersion and climate research.

Health Physics

Through Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORISE's managing contractor, health physics and radiation safety training courses are offered for participants performing work in the radiation sciences.

Radiation Emergency Medicine

Continuing education courses taught through the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) at ORISE focus on radiation emergency medicine and the medical management of radiation incidents.

Emergency Preparedness

ORISE emergency planners train government agencies on how to build effective response and preparedness plans, as well as teach best practices to improve communication among emergency response teams.

Health Communication and Training

ORISE develops training and education programs designed to address public health topics. Training is delivered via e-learning, multimedia applications and traditional classroom instruction.

National Security and Emergency Management

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Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education

Emergency Response

Firefighters assisting a disaster victim

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) helps strengthen government agencies’ emergency response capabilities through a variety of exercises, from tabletop training to full-scale drills. ORISE supports emergency response needs across multiple disciplines, including the medical management of radiation incidents through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS).

As a DOE reponse asset, REAC/TS is available 24 hours a day/seven days a week to deploy and provide emergency medical treatment for all types of radiation exposure anywhere in the world. Each interdisciplinary team includes a physician, nurse/paramedic and health physicist who are cross-trained in all aspects of radiation. REAC/TS provides direct support to DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Emergency Response and the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center.

REAC/TS also prepares and educates first responders, medical personnel and occupational health professionals who will provide care to patients with a radiation injury or illness. Each year, more than 1,200 physicians, physicians’ assistants, nurses, emergency medical technicians, health physicists and first responders benefit from the lectures, discussions and hands-on exercises as they learn their roles in the medical management of a radiation incident.

Emergency Response Special Interest Group (ER-SIG)

ORISE successfully plans and facilitates the Emergency Response Special Interest Group (ER SIG) for the DOE Office of Emergency Response.

The goal of ER SIG is to bring together emergency responders from across the DOE complex to share emergency reponse information.

The SIG plays a significant role in ensuring that shared information pertinent to emergency preparedness, management and response is effective and consistent across DOE operations.