National Security & Non-Proliferation Program

The objective of our work is to apply Argonne's capabilities and technical expertise to activities aimed at limiting the capacity of would-be proliferator nations to pursue programs of development of nuclear weapons. We perform work in five principle areas:

• safeguarding nuclear and radiological materials worldwide,
• technical nonproliferation policy support,
• development of information systems for nonproliferation,
• improving nuclear power plant safety worldwide
• the Initiative for Proliferation Prevention, and
• improving Nuclear Security & Safeguards.

Nuclear & Radiological Material Protection

The focus of our nuclear material security projects is on protecting nuclear material in Russia and the Newly Independent States (NIS). The objectives of this work include reducing the nuclear threat from proliferation through protection, control, and accounting of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, while establishing a sustainable infrastructure to maintain the safeguards at facilities where the Department of Energy (DOE) has supported upgrades.

Argonne has contributed to the completion and commissioning of security upgrades at facilities in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. We have worked on improving nuclear material security systems at reactors in Kiev, Sevastopol, Yuzhnoukrainsk, Aktau and Almaty, plus we have transitioned development and maintenance of a nuclear material accounting software application called AIMAS to several countries. AIMAS (Automated Inventory/Material Accounting System) was originally developed by Argonne specifically for use in the Former Soviet Union, and is now used in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Argonne staff have also worked in Russia to monitor the blend down of HEU to LEU; to train inspectors from the Russian regulatory agency in conducting nuclear material audits and to assist specialists in developing regulations.

Argonne also supports the DOE effort to identify, secure, and remove vulnerable, high-risk radiological materials around the world that pose a potential threat to the United States and the international community.

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Technical Nonproliferation Policy Support

In this activity, we provide technical advisory services to DOE in the implementation of U.S. nonproliferation policy and international outreach to strengthen global nonproliferation export control efforts. In addition to supporting DOE participation in international regimes and agreements, we provide technical proliferation risk analyses in support of the U.S. export licensing process for  proposed transfers of strategic materials, equipment, software and technology. Through our International Engagement group, Argonne is the lead laboratory implementing DOE's International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP), which strengthens global efforts to combat the illicit procurement of such strategic commodities and technologies.

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National Security Information Systems

The development of both unclassified and classified information systems for national security and nonproliferation programs is focused on security operations, international treaty implementation, nonproliferation, export control and law enforcement support. Information systems are custom designed and developed using state of the art software engineering. All systems are in compliance with federal enterprise architecture standards and cyber security protocols. Systems are designed, developed and delivered that offer specific functionality requested by sponsors for specific national security tasks. Systems are web based and easily accessible by any size user community participating in either site specific or complex wide projects.

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International Nuclear Safety Program

The International Nuclear Safety Program operates under the guidance of the Director of International Nuclear Safety and Cooperation (NA-23) in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It has the mission of improving nuclear power reactor safety worldwide. Under this program, the International Nuclear Safety Center (INSC) is dedicated to the goals of developing enhanced nuclear safety technology and promoting the open exchange of nuclear safety information among nations. The INSC sponsors scientific research activities as collaborations between the U.S. and its international partners, who have also established safety centers in their countries. INSC activities are currently focused on Soviet-designed nuclear power plants in Russia and Eastern Europe.

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Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention

The purpose of the IPP Program is to provide peaceful commercial employment for former weapon scientists and technicians in Russia and the NIS who are under-employed and might be tempted to emigrate or sell their weapons knowledge or sensitive materials to rogue states or organizations. Our work at Argonne involves engaging Russian and NIS researchers in collaborative R&D and developing ties to commercial partners. Our aim is to incubate joint business opportunities with companies in the US by transferring unique NIS technologies to the west.

As examples of some of the work, a project to predict and automatically suppress epileptic seizures is maturing into a business relationship with a U.S. company; and a project on computational fluid dynamics is improving design and operation capabilities of reactors built by Westinghouse. The projects range from nuclear to biological to chemical-related technologies.

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Improving Nuclear Security & Safeguards

The Vulnerability Assessments Section of NE Division conducts R&D and develops novel approaches to nuclear safeguards, both domestic and international. This work involves

1. developing the most appropriate, secure, and sustainable technologies and strategies, not necessarily the most complex, high-tech, or conventional;
2. truly understanding the fundamental issues that make nuclear safeguards wholly unlike conventional security applications; and
3. factoring in the human and cultural factors that strongly affect safeguards efficacy.

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NSNP Contact

A more detailed list of POCs (Persons of Contact) is available in the NSNP Contacts Overview page.