Tulsa Research Partners (TRP), the cornerstone program of the Oklahoma Innovation Institute (OII), represents an historic, collaborative, multidisciplinary research partnership formed by the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma University-Tulsa, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and Tulsa Community College.

The Tulsa Research Partners initiative is designed to drive economic growth through three research-centered objectives: 1) to encourage and support collaborative, multidisciplinary research among colleges, universities, and private sector research groups; 2) to facilitate technology transfer relating to a “Grow Your Own” startup company culture in the region and 3) to attract new, major research funding to the region.

This independent research consortium was created to impact multidisciplinary collaborations and to attract research grants that will support technology development projects in a multitude of technology and scientific sectors including: software, information technology, cyber-security, advanced materials, aerospace, manufacturing, telecom, bio-life, energy, and alternative energy sciences.

These projects will have a significant impact on the willingness of federal agencies to fund research centers at universities with unique research capabilities in our region. Aiming to create long-term partnerships between Tulsa companies and educational institutions, TRP members will develop and deploy technologies that lead to the vital cultivation of Tulsa’s economy. Tulsa Research Partners plans to achieve its goals through strategic investments in distinguished scholars, research laboratories and equipment, national centers for research and technology transfer programs.

This OII initiative specifically focuses on collaborative research opportunities sponsored by the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, private sector partners and corporate research groups.

With this in mind, TRP’s efforts began with the construction of a world-class community supercomputing center for use by Oklahoma’s research community.  To further facilitate collaboration, TRP hosts an annual Tulsa Citywide Research Day series. Other vital activities include identifying collaborative funding opportunities, investigator pairing, grant writing and support, and technology transfer facilitation, all supported by full-time TRP staff.

The A.R. and Mary Louise Tandy Community Supercomputing Center houses one of the nation’s most advanced community supercomputers. The function of this community supercomputer is to provide common infrastructure for collaborative research and development, to identify large-scale multidisciplinary research funding, investigator pairing and ultimately grant writing support. By providing a forum to support the growing community of researchers in our region, the Tandy Supercomputing Center will support the transition of scientific research and technologies to commercially viable products and solutions.

Learn more about the Tandy Supercomputing Center here.

• 2006: Step Up Tulsa! launches bottoms-up planning process
• 2006: Barry Davis and Tom Walker co-champion Economic Development Task Force
• 2007: The Oklahoma Innovation Institute is born
• 2009: Tulsa Research Partners hosts first research symposium
• 2011: OII receives federal grant to help build the country’s first community supercomputer
• 2013: OII announces the Tandy Community Supercomputer is officially open for business