Annual Conferences
Each January, the state's top researchers, corporate leaders and university presidents and chancellors gather to discuss cutting edge research within a broad array of fields including life sciences, medicine, aerospace and energy. These meetings have featured keynote speakers of international stature including Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director, National Institutes of Health; Thomas Engibous, Chairman of the Board, Texas Instruments, Inc.; Dr. Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine and Dr. Wendy Freedman, Director, Carnegie Observatories.
Mid-year Conferences
Mid-year meetings were initiated in 2006 to provide Texas researchers, in particular students and post-doctoral fellows, with an opportunity to showcase their work. The first conference, Drugs, Bugs and Vaccines: Securing our Future, was co-sponsored by The University of Texas System Office of Health Affairs, and was attended by over 300 participants. In 2007, nanoscience and nanotechnology were the topics of a conference co-sponsored by Rice University, The University of Texas System, The University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Austin, and The University of Texas at Dallas. In 2008, The Business of Fueling the Future - Earth, Wind & Sun was held at Texas A&M University. Sponsored by Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Tech University, Rice University, Chevron, The Research Valley Partnership ad Cockrell Interests, the conference focused on biofuel and wind and solar energy.