Explore Types 
of Engagement

From collaborative research to licensing and facility access, these pathways give you direct ways to work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). By engaging with our people, capabilities, and resources, you can help translate science into impact—creating opportunities for innovation, strengthening U.S. competitiveness, and delivering solutions that matter nationally.

Collaborative Research 

PNNL plays a key role in transforming research and innovation into real world solutions for the nation by partnering with universities, government agencies, and industry. We combine the expertise of scientists and engineers as well as the sophisticated scientific facilities of PNNL and these organizations to solve problems too large for any one institution to take on by itself. These collaborations take on critical research challenges in areas ranging from developing new materials and energy technology concepts to developing AI or leveraging AI to solve various research problems. 

To discuss a potential research partnership, contact Partnerships@PNNL.gov. 

Licensing Technology

One of our primary missions at PNNL is to move innovations developed by our researchers—instruments, new processes, technologies, software, software applications, and more—into the marketplace where they can be applied for the betterment of our everyday lives. Patented and copyrighted inventions are made available to existing and startup companies through exclusive and nonexclusive licensing agreements. 

To learn more about available technologies and licensing technologies, visit our licensing page.

Use Our Facilities

Unique facilities at PNNL, including national user facilities and dedicated laboratories, equip researchers to take on some of the most challenging questions and expand the frontiers of scientific understanding and technological possibility. Our facilities are equipped with advanced instrumentation and capabilities for scientific research. Many of PNNL’s research facilities are available for use by U.S. industry, universities, academia, other laboratories, state and local governments, and the scientific community. 

The exterior of the GSL building, with the building sign in the foreground

The Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL) is a national capability for accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation grid energy storage technologies. This Department of Energy Office of Electricity facility offers an exciting opportunity to increase energy affordability, improve energy security, and usher in a new chapter in grid modernization. The highly integrated capabilities of the GSL—from fundamental analysis of battery materials to 100 kW scale testing of commercial systems—will accelerate innovation and technology breakthroughs for the grid and other applications. These advancements will help meet the nation’s emerging energy needs, making energy more accessible and strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the global energy market. 

a tree-lined brick walkway leads to a tall, angular brick building with a two-story glass door entrance

The William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is a national scientific user facility funded by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program. Researchers from academia, government, and industry can partner with EMSL to use its laboratory space, expertise, and premier instrumentation—for free—if their research proposal is accepted through a competitive peer-review process. 

EMSL experts work in partnership with the scientific community to apply molecular-level research toward understanding the processes that drive Earth systems, such as microbial and microbiome interactions, mineral cycling in soils, and atmospheric particle formation. Our research into microbe, plant, and fungi biomass production addresses the critical need to produce energy-efficient bioproducts. Our focus on advanced data analytics, visualization, and computational modeling accelerates scientific investigations to further drive interdisciplinary research and BER’s science mission. 

The Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility is a key contributor to atmospheric research efforts. ARM offers scientists advanced ground-based observatories, crewed and uncrewed aerial facilities, and over 30 years of continuous measurements of cloud and aerosol properties for studying their impacts on Earth’s energy balance.

ARM advances efforts to answer basic science questions to understand the Earth’s atmosphere and the representation of atmospheric processes in global-scale Earth system models.

Access National Lab Expertise 

PNNL offers a wide range of technical assistance, advanced technologies, capabilities, resources, and expertise to help solve your business challenges and provide your company with a competitive edge. To understand more about the capabilities relevant to your domain and how to access PNNL to help achieve your business goals, contact Partnerships@PNNL.gov.