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Managing for High-Quality Science and Engineering at the NNSA National Security Laboratories (2013) / Chapter Skim
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3 Research Base and Evolution of the Mission
Pages 14-18

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From page 14...
... This was the real beginning of the transition of these three laboratories from nuclear weapons laboratories to national security laboratories. As these activities outside the core program began to grow, there were some unexpected benefits and some problems as well.
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From page 15...
... The study committee recommends that Congress recognize that maintenance of the stockpile remains the core mission of the labs, and in that context consider endorsing and supporting in some manner the evolution of the NNSA laboratories to national security laboratories as described in the July 2010 four-agency Governance Charter for an Interagency Council on the Strategic Capability of DOE National Laboratories. Conducting applied program work outside the nuclear weapons program for agencies other than DOE, however, does not encourage those other sponsoring government agencies to contribute to the longterm institutional support needed to maintain the laboratories.
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From page 16...
... research activities, and who have subsequently moved into the core applied programs. In addition, some of these people have taken on major leadership roles in the nuclear weapons program.
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From page 17...
... Program carried out at the various DOE national laboratories, including those today reporting to DOE/NNSA, was originally authorized by Congress in 1991, with the aim of allowing laboratory management to guide the funding of leading-edge research and development central to the national laboratories' core missions. This program was initiated during the period when DOE's mission in the nuclear weapons arena was drastically curtailed, with President George H
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From page 18...
... Recommendation 3.3. The study committee recommends that Congress consider reducing the number of restrictive budget reporting categories in the Nuclear Weapons Program and permit the use of such funds to support a robust core weapons research program and further develop necessary S&E capability.
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Key Terms

  • core mission
  • security laboratories
  • nuclear weapon
  • ldrd program
  • laboratory directed

  • directed research
  • doe national
  • ldrd programs
  • cites transfers
  • weapons science

  • homeland security
  • basic materials
  • budget reporting
  • nnsa laboratories
  • materials research

  • plutonium science
  • reporting categories
  • people recruited
  • weapon design
  • strategic capability

  • major leadership
  • governance charter
  • interagency council
  • weapons laboratories
  • core nuclear

  • weapons research
  • weapons laboratory
  • core weapons
  • security research
  • unilateral nuclear


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