Our Cause
What if you could discover dark matter... curb U.S. dependence on foreign fuel... clean up an oil spill... or save the world from acts of violence before they happen—all by making a vital scientific discovery today? Better yet, what if you could improve humanity for generations to come by finding and nurturing the scientists who will discover a myriad of ways to improve the world around us? Would you? We are.
At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, our mission is to transform the world through courageous discovery and innovation. Our vision: PNNL science and technology inspires and enables the world to live prosperously, safely, and securely. Our values of integrity, creativity, collaboration, impact and courage provide the foundation for all we do.
Located in Richland, Washington, PNNL is one among ten U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories managed by DOE's Office of Science. Our research strengthens the U.S. foundation for innovation, and we help find solutions for not only DOE, but for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Nuclear Security Administration, other government agencies, universities and industry. Unlike others, our multidisciplinary scientific teams are brought together to address their problems. More specifically, at PNNL we
- provide the facilities, unique scientific equipment, and world-renowned scientists and engineers to strengthen U.S. scientific foundations through fundamental research and innovation
- prevent and counter acts of terrorism through applied research in information analysis, cyber security, and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
- increase U.S. energy capacity and reduce dependence on imported oil through research of hydrogen and biomass-based fuels
- reduce the effects of energy generation and use on the environment.
Today, approximately 4,700 are employed at PNNL; our business volume is more than $1.1 billion. Our Richland campus includes unique laboratories and specialized equipment as well as the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science national scientific user facility. In addition to the Richland campus, we operate a marine research facility in Sequim, Washington; and satellite offices in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, D.C.
Battelle—the world's largest independent scientific research and technology development organization—has operated PNNL for DOE and its predecessors since 1965. One unique feature of Battelle's contract with DOE allows research to be conducted for private industry.
To learn more, see our video, Advancing Transformational Science and Technology on our video page. Thank you for visiting our web site. If you have questions or comments, please contact us.
In one way or another, we hope you will join us and make a scientific discovery today that transforms tomorrow for the better.