Science at Scale

Field-defining research at the frontiers of knowledge requires specific and interconnected contributions from wide ranges of disciplines. At the University of Chicago, we embrace the view that grand challenges of the world must be addressed through rigorous inquiry at the scale that brings the best resources to bear for a given goal. We are driven by curiosity to explore the unknown, and are not limited by traditional disciplinary or departmental boundaries. The use of genomic data to improve healthcare, the data-science revolution, the origins of life, the complex connections of the human brain, the cancer-fighting power of the immune system, the transformative potential of quantum science, the development of materials and energy sources for a sustainable world, and the essence of universe are examples of deep scientific questions that cannot be solved in isolation.

Humanity is facing climate change, water scarcity, pandemics, and global challenges at a magnitude impossible for any nation, or any individual scientist, to tackle alone. More than ever, we need to harness the power of science and other disciplines to foster innovative ideas and transform them into breakthrough solutions and policies that impact the world. What’s needed, in other words, is a transformative approach to solve big problems that we call “Science at Scale”, bringing ideas to life, from basic discoveries to theoretical underpinnings and advanced technologies that can be translated and deployed at a scale necessary to create real impact.

The Office of Science, Innovation, National Laboratories, and Global Initiatives brings together under one umbrella the unique resources required to achieve science at scale.

Collaboration across the cycle of discovery

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National Laboratories

The cradles of discovery and innovation, two Department of Energy laboratories under the University’s stewardship support thousands of scientists working in the national interest. In addition to supporting Argonne and Fermilab, UChicago has direct oversight of the internationally renowned Marine Biological Laboratory and is a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope project.

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Innovation

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation accelerates discoveries and new ideas that create economic opportunities for our city, region, nation, and world, for the benefit of humanity.

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Science Strategy

The unifying thread of the office’s approach, Science Strategy focuses on enabling partnerships, collaboration, and working across divisions and institutions to translate discoveries into innovation and impact.

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Global Initiatives

Supporting the international vision of the university and faculty scientists, UChicago Global enables the kind of large-scale, cutting-edge research that can only be done across borders.

News

Cross-institutional partnership propels global research in AI and quantum science

The University of Chicago and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel will support collaborative research in quantum information sciences and artificial intelligence, in a partnership that also includes the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago. This expanded...

University of Chicago highlighted in French state visit to U.S.

The University of Chicago and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) signed an agreement to establish the International Research Center for Fundamental Scientific Discovery (IRC Discovery), a new collaboration that will bring together some of the...

Strategic Laboratory Leadership Program participants offer vision for the future of national labs

Training, mentorship, talent databases, streamlined operations, and a unified brand were ideas presented from latest cohorts The 17 national labs across the U.S. Department of Energy complex have solved some of the most important problems in science over the...

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Events

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Virtual lecture: AI for Science: From Atoms to the Cosmos

Recorded event

Argonne

Director’s Special Colloquium Celebrating Argonne’s 75th Anniversary

Scientists across the globe are using artificial intelligence (AI) to design better materials and processes, accelerate drug discovery, explore the mysteries of the universe, automate traditional research, and drive an array of scientific discoveries.This colloquium, the fourth in the series celebrating Argonne’s 75th anniversary, will engage a panel of experts to discuss how AI is used in, and has transformed, science.

Watch the recording

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Polsky Science Ventures Presents: Compass Demo Day

Jan. 18, 2023

Polsky

Join the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago for a Demo Day to observe presentations and hear pitches from the graduating Cohort 5 startups of the Compass, the Polsky Center’s six-month deep tech accelerator. Presenting teams make up diverse industry verticals that include Artificial Intelligence, Life Sciences, and Quantum. In addition, you will hear quick pitches from the teams that have been accepted into Cohort 6 of the Compass.

UChicago-Peking University Joint Forum: Addressing the Climate & Energy Challenge

Recorded event

UChicago Global

The climate and energy challenge is inherently global as individual nations cannot control the global thermostat in isolation and must collaborate to curb the consequences of climate change. Join the University of Chicago and Peking University for a joint forum convening academics, policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders to discuss how the US and China – the two largest carbon producers – and the world, are addressing the climate and energy challenge.