Chancellor Lori Bruce speaks at a press conference at Chattanooga City Hall. Photo by Angela Foster.
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann and UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce joined Chattanooga civic and industry leaders at Chattanooga City Hall to announce federal investments supporting key regional priorities today—including $3 million to launch a new translational research initiative at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Hosted by the City of Chattanooga, the press conference brought together Congressman Fleischmann, Mayor Tim Kelly, Chancellor Bruce and other community leaders to publicly thank the Congressman for securing federal funding that will accelerate research, innovation and economic development across the region.
The $3 million investment in UTC establishes a Translational Research Program—an initiativewithin the UTC Research Institute dedicated to supporting the transition of research breakthroughs into industry practice.
“This funding was a top priority for the UT System and will launch a translational research initiative on our campus that is designed to close the gap between academic discovery and industry-ready solutions,” Bruce said. “It will accelerate commercialization, support patent development and expand research capacity on our campus.”
The program will focus on transforming research discoveries into practical solutions that benefitTennessee, the Southeast and the nation. Funds will support:
- Educational and training opportunities for students to move beyond fundamental research into applied innovation.
- Guidance on developing intellectual property disclosures and patent submissions.
- Equipment purchases to increase UTC’s capacity for translational research and testing.
By strengthening pathways from laboratory discovery to marketplace implementation, the initiative aims to expand research and development job opportunities in Tennessee while enhancing U.S. competitiveness and economic growth.
Bruce praised Fleischmann for his longstanding advocacy for UTC and the Chattanooga community.
“Congressman Fleischmann has been a consistent and unwavering champion for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,” she said. “His leadership reflects a clear recognition that applied research and innovation are essential to strengthening our city, our state and our nation.”
Bruce also highlighted the congressman’s broader support for next-generation transportation infrastructure and quantum initiatives. Those efforts have positioned UTC and Chattanooga as leaders among midsize cities in connected and automated mobility systems, as well as emerging hubs for quantum networking and quantum-enabled machine learning.
“Innovation that directly impacts the lives of our citizens on a daily basis is happening right here,” Bruce said. “Through his continued commitment, our University and our City are positioned at the forefront of the future of the quantum internet while driving economic growth and competitiveness for our entire state and our nation.”
On behalf of UTC’s faculty, staff and students, Bruce closed with a message of gratitude.
“Thank you for your commitment to us and to our future.”
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann
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