A Message from Robert Rosner, Director, Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne’s work in national and homeland security is rooted in its strong scientific and engineering expertise in nuclear engineering, the decision and information sciences, materials science, and accelerator physics. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Laboratory has developed major research efforts in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), particularly in the area of critical infrastructure protection. For decades, we have played an important role in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE’s) nonproliferation efforts, including programs to enhance international export controls on nuclear-related technologies, as well as DOE-led worldwide efforts to convert nuclear research and test reactors from highly enriched reactor fuels to low-enrichment fuels and to repatriate to the United States, from Russia and other countries, highly enriched fuels potentially usable for weapons. We have developed unique research programs in biological, chemical, and nuclear sensor technologies. In conjunction with regional universities and state and local governments, we are increasingly a resource for emergency response, transportation security, and crisis management for communities in the upper Midwest. Moreover, our new capabilities and facilities in advanced computing, biological research, and nanoscience are creating important additional opportunities to help address major challenges in national and homeland security.