Office of Community Engagement
OCEBuilding trusted, collaborative, productive and longstanding relationships.
Community engagement has been a longstanding and critical component of Argonne’s mission. In 2023, Argonne established the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) to lead the lab’s community outreach and engagement efforts.
As the hub and backbone of Argonne’s external-facing community activities, the OCE ensures alignment between the lab’s science and technology strategy and expertise and its community engagement and partnerships.
The OCE is strategic and responsive in building intentional, collaborative relationships with communities and community-focused organizations at the local, state, and regional levels; facilitating and supporting investment in short- and long-term, community-engaged research; and tracking lab-wide community engagement efforts and programming.
We are grounded by four key initiatives:
- Relationships: We extend benefits from Argonne’s capabilities and resources to underserved communities.
- Advancement: We advance science and technology through expanded collaborations.
- Partnerships: We are a strategic partner in supporting community-engaged research with science and technology funding opportunities.
- Voice: We contribute to national conversations to position Argonne as a laboratory complex leader in community engagement.
With a presence on the south side of Chicago and on Argonne’s campus in the southwest suburbs, the OCE provides a strong framework for the inclusive and collaborative advancement of science and technology in our community. Argonne in Chicago has already been working with local community members, advocates, and local officials to gain insights into community needs and address issues. These collaborative efforts have helped launch several programs and initiatives to study climate change, advance environmental justice, broaden STEM education, and provide career opportunities.
In addition, the OCE supports the following Argonne programs/efforts: