In 2006, Argonne Laboratory Director Robert Rosner formed the AAI as a focal point for accelerator initiatives. The institute works to utilize Argonne’s extensive accelerator resources, to enhance existing facilities, to determine the future of accelerator development and construction, and to oversee a dynamic and acclaimed accelerator physics portfolio. 

The mission of the Argonne Accelerator Institute is centered upon the following related goals:

• Locate next generation accelerator facilities in Northern Illinois
• Advance accelerator technology
• Oversee a selected, strategic, lab-wide, and acclaimed accelerator R&D portfolio