Los Alamos National Laboratory

Our leadership and governance, awards and achievements, infrastructure and employees reflect our strong mission focus on national security and contributions to 21st century science. MISSION To solve national security challenges through scientific excellence. VISION To deliver science and technology to protect our nation and promote world stability. VALUES Service Serving our country, our partners, our community, and each other Excellence Ensuring timely mission execution through scientific, operational, and business excellence Integrity Building trust through intellectual honesty, ethical conduct, and individual responsibility Teamwork Collaborating with colleagues and partners, respecting diverse opinions and backgrounds, vigorously debating alternatives, and coming together to achieve the best solutions Stewardship Being good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, the Laboratory, our community, and the environment Safety and Security Ensuring that safety and security are integral to everything we do GOAL We Will: Deliver national nuclear security and broader global security mission solutions STRATEGY We will maintain the nation’s full confidence and trust through our technical prowess, scientific integrity, and reliable delivery of solutions. - Provide a safe, secure, and effective stockpile - Protect against the nuclear threat - Counter emerging threats and create new opportunities - Provide solutions to strengthen energy security GOAL Foster excellence in science and engineering disciplines essential for national security missions STRATEGY We will ensure agile mission responsiveness by advancing exceptional science and engineering in targeted strategic disciplines. - Sustain a culture of excellence to ensure the quality and integrity of our science and engineering solutions - Strategically invest in breakthrough science and engineering - Lead in transformational science at extremes GOAL By: Attracting, inspiring and developing world-class talent to ensure a vital future workplace STRATEGY We will shape our excellent technical, operational, and professional talent for evolving national security needs through recruiting, retention, and talent development. - Position the Laboratory to compete for and attract world-class talent - Develop and mentor next-generation workforce and leadership talent - Position the Laboratory as one of the best places to work GOAL Enabling mission delivery through next-generation facilities, infrastructure and operational excellence STRATEGY We will create a modern workplace that is environmentally responsible, safe, and secure. - Demonstrate leadership in environmental stewardship, commitment to sustainability, and social responsibility - Transform our infrastructure to enable scientific breakthroughs - Drive productivity and innovation in all aspects of operations, business systems, and information systems - Protect our people, our assets, and our information OUR HISTORY The Lab has a proud history and heritage of 75 years of science and innovation. See historical photos and original badges, and read about former Lab directors. Our primary responsibility throughout the decades: national security The primary responsibility of the Laboratory is assuring the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear deterrent. Though the world is rapidly changing, this essential responsibility remains the core mission. The people of Los Alamos continually work on advanced technologies to provide the United States with the best scientific and engineering solutions to many of the nation's most crucial challenges. Yesterday The Laboratory was established in 1943 as site Y of the Manhattan Project for a single purpose: to design and build an atomic bomb. It took just 27 months. On July 16, 1945, the world's first atomic bomb was detonated 200 miles south of Los Alamos at Trinity Site on the Alamogordo Bombing Range. Under the project leadership of General Leslie R. Groves and staff direction of J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientists at the Laboratory had successfully weaponized the atom. Hitler was defeated in Europe, but the Japanese Empire continued to wage an aggressive Pacific war. So President Harry S. Truman chose to employ atomic bombs in an effort to end WWII. Little Boy, a uranium gun-type weapon, was used against Hiroshima; Fat Man, an implosion plutonium bomb, was dropped on Nagasaki. On August 14, armistice was declared; on September 2, the war officially ended. Today The Los Alamos of today has a heightened focus on worker safety and security awareness, with the ever-present core values of intellectual freedom, scientific excellence, and national service. Outstanding science underpins the Laboratory's past and its future. A rich variety of research programs directly and indirectly support the Laboratory's basic mission: maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the nation's nuclear deterrent without the need to return to underground testing. With a national security focus, the Laboratory also works on nuclear nonproliferation and border security, energy and infrastructure security, and countermeasures to nuclear and biological terrorist threats. As a foundation, the Laboratory conducts fundamental science in - high-energy and applied physics and theory - high-performance computing - dynamic and energetic materials science - superconductivity - quantum information - advanced materials - bioinformatics - theoretical and computational biology - chemistry - earth and environmental science - alternative energy systems - engineering sciences and application tomorrow Tomorrow The future is filled with promise. All Laboratory programs are built on our scientific infrastructure, with a focus on attracting and retaining top scientific talent and providing them with the tools to succeed.