The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Global Security & Nonproliferation Programs (GS&N) develop, coordinate, and assist in implementing domestic and international policy aimed at reducing threats-internal and external-to the United States from weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The primary focus is reducing the proliferation of nuclear materials and nuclear weapons and radiological dispersal devices (RDD).
BACKGROUND
The proliferation of nuclear materials and nuclear weapons poses a strategic threat to the United States. Through its nonproliferation programs, the ORNL GS&N is a primary contributor to policy efforts to detect, prevent, and reverse the proliferation of WMD and RDD. The GS&N supports a range of activities related to national security, spanning research and development activities through technology deployment and technical assessments. Activities include work related to chemical sciences and technology; metals and ceramics; instrumentation and controls; engineering technology; biology and health sciences; computational physics and mathematics; energy, robotics, and process systems; solid state physics; physical security assessments; and system analysis and deployment.
ROLE
ORNL is actively involved in several programs to reduce the proliferation and radiological threats. These programs cover a broad spectrum of activities from weapons dismantlement to physical protection upgrades, all with the goal of preventing proliferation and reducing the global risk posed by inadequately secured nuclear and radiological materials. The overall goal of the GS&N is to open channels of communication among organizational structures and coordinate and focus efforts to enhance ORNL's role in nonproliferation and threat reduction.
