TUNL: Federal Funding and Collaboration Between North Carolina’s Research Triangle Universities

The Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and focuses on advancing the frontiers of nuclear physics and educating students and young scientists in a wide range of technical fields.

TUNL is a consortium of four Triangle-based universities: Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State University. Not only is the laboratory an example of how universities are using federal dollars to advance research and benefit society, but it’s also an example of how rivals on the athletic fields are bringing collaboration to the lab. 

Calvin Howell, Duke professor of physics, explains the work occurring at the TUNL and the research benefits it creates with the help of DOE's support.