[12] Ort helped found the SoyFACE (Soybean Free-Air Concentration Enrichment) research facility to study the effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, ozone, and temperature on crops,[13] and served as the facility's director from 2007-2018.

[14] Over the past decade, Ort’s research interests have focused on the effect that specific environmental factors and abiotic stresses have on the photosynthetic performance of crop plants and on improving photosynthetic efficiency to increase crop yields.

[15] Ort serves as a leader for many research projects including as Deputy Director of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE)[16] and Deputy Director for Research & Development for the Center for Advanced Biofuel and Bioproduct Innovation (CABBI).

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) presented Ort with the Kettering Award in 2006.

[4] In 2020, ASPB recognized Ort with the Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award.