We support the U.S. government’s efforts to limit the number of nuclear-capable states and prevent terrorist access to materials and technology that can threaten the United States and its allies. This work enhances global stability and constrains the range of potential threats facing the nation.

We have been working to reduce these threats throughout our history as a national laboratory. At the end of the Cold War, our staff helped governments in the former Soviet states secure nuclear materials that were vulnerable to theft. Since that time, we have partnered with our DOE sponsors, other national laboratories, and the international community to improve physical security, install and help sustain detection systems, and lay the groundwork for a civil framework to sustain international safeguards and export control.

Nonproliferation requires vigilance and a holistic approach across many disciplines. Fundamental science discoveries in physics, chemistry, and biology and the engineering of detection systems are informed by understanding the policy and economics that drive the countries of the world. PNNL convenes recognized experts in research and development, nonproliferation policy, project management and execution, training and education, and nuclear security, working together to reduce the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction around the globe.