These institutions have a common purpose of advancing science, promoting the application of their knowledge to national problems, and attacking in concert those scientific and technological questions that require the collaborative skills and resources of scientists, engineers, and others throughout the nation and world. These entities include LSU 's Office of Research and Graduate Studies, Institute for Recyclable Materials, Coastal Fisheries Institute, and Institute for Environmental Studies.
Information is disseminated through workshops, a newsletter and a web page.
In 1963, the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and State Universities merged with the National Association of State Universities to create the association in its present configuration. The association is governed by a chair and board of directors elected from the member institutions. A consortium of colleges and universities and a management and operating contractor for the US Department of Energy located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, ORAU works with its member institutions to help students, faculty and staff gain access to federal research facilities throughout the nation. ORAU also strives to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship and research appointments and to organize research alliances among its members. Students can participate in programs covering a wide variety of disciplines including business, earth sciences, epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics.