History of the Nonproliferation and National Security Department

The Nonproliferation & National Security (NNS) Department began in the Technical Support Organization, established by the Atomic Energy Commission at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1968. The initial work focused on nuclear materials safeguards and security and resulted in, among other products, the Conceptual Design for Safeguards. This seminal document was the first systematic design for a nuclear materials safeguards system that integrated material control and accountability, physical protection, and records and reporting. These elements still form the basis for modern nuclear safeguards systems throughout the world.

BNL work also was directed to international safeguards, leading to innovative concepts such as safeguard seals, short-notice random inspections, mailbox declarations, and zone approaches. These efforts established a strong base for BNL expansion into arms control verification and technical support in non-nuclear areas. The NNS Department is currently working on technology for counter-terrorism, critical infrastructure protection, and advanced detector development and testing.

The mission of The Nonproliferation and National Security Department is to carry out research and development, provide technical support, and build prototype systems in order to further U.S. Government initiatives and policies in nuclear materials safeguards and security, arms control treaty verification, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Material Protection Control and Accountability initiatives for nuclear materials in Russia and the NIS, and related national security areas.

Last Modified: January 31, 2008
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One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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