Each year the Oak Ridge National Laboratory recognizes small businesses and educational institutions for their support in assisting ORNL in it's mission as a Department of Energy Laboratory. R&D subcontracting activities is one of many ways an educational institution can support the laboratory.

The minority educational institutional award is based on quality of work performed, meeting the required scheduled Of completion cost effectiveness and technical competence, North Carolina A&T received an outstanding rating by all ORNL staff members engaged in the nomination process for minority educational institution of the year for fiscal year 2001.

North Carolina A&T's work is an extensive, on-going experimental research effort in high-temperature tensile testing of structural ceramics in support of the Heavy Vehicle Propulsion System Materials Program managed by ORNL. NC A&T was selected in compliance to Presidential Order 12320 through a carefully planned process. Since the inception of this experimental research program in October 1984, NCA&T has actively engaged in purchases of equipment and materials needed to perform programmatic assignments that have amounted to a cost share of 10%. The test facility is fully operational and a number of minority students have been trained on the equipment and operational procedures. Results of work performed by NCA&T students have been well received at national ceramic meetings.