For more than five decades, PNNL has provided training in a variety of disciplines to partners worldwide. PNNL works with sponsors, partners, and collaborators to deliver a customized, hands-on training environment for science and technology domains ranging from nuclear and radiation detection to maritime security. Participants include U.S. federal government staff, regulators, policy makers, police and security officers (both domestic and international), nuclear facility staff, International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, and intelligence community analysts. 

Several examples of PNNL's government, industry, academia, and international collaborators are listed below.

Government Sponsors

National Nuclear Security Administration

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of State

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Training Centers

U.S. Department of Energy National Training Center

PNNL uses DOE's National Training Center (NTC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to provide training in the critical national security areas of health, safety, safeguards, security, and protective force. Through the NTC, DOE's Office of Enterprise Assessments performs the mission-critical support function of developing, maintaining, and delivering standardized health, safety, safeguards, security, and protective force training for DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) federal and contractor employees.

NTC Management and Instructional Training

NTC Management and Instructional Training provides both distance and classroom-based learning. Courses offered provide direct assistance to instructional personnel involved in the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of training. For example, MIT-111 Basic Instructor Training offers one-week classroom training in the best methods and techniques for delivering instruction. The course offers a reliable and consistent metric by which to assess instructor qualifications within the DOE complex. More than 50 staff at PNNL have completed this training since the laboratory became site certified in 2011.

Industry

Energy Northwest

Energy Northwest provides access and tours to PNNL’s nuclear nonproliferation early-career staff and interns so they can observe nuclear energy operations and facilities up close and personal. This enables our staff to have a greater understanding of the challenges of nonproliferation and security measures in the nuclear environment.

AREVA

Framatome Richland’s production facility covers the entire nuclear fuel cycle, specifically fuel production. Their products and services include the provision of fuel for pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors, as well as packaging and transporting of used fuel. Framatome Richland provides PNNL early-career staff and interns with demonstrations and tours of the UF6 cylinder receiving operations and its processing and manufacturing production lines for fuel rods and assemblies, illustrating bulk and item safeguards and inventory management. Framatome is also a valued technical PNNL collaborator that provides researchers a testbed for prototype safeguards systems.

Academia

PNNL’s education programs also benefit academic institutions around the globe. Our university partnerships and opportunities cultivate the next generation of thought leaders, while providing universities access to specialized expertise and instruments at the laboratory.

• PNNL Academic Opportunities
• Internships and Student Programs
• Other Educational Programs
• Institutional Partnerships

Oregon State University

PNNL has partnered with Oregon State University (OSU) on seminars, courses, and internships in a variety of nuclear security fields.

• Nonproliferation Seminar Series: PNNL works directly with OSU’s Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics and Public Policy departments to host the Nonproliferation Seminar Series at OSU every other year. Each seminar focuses on a timely and relevant subject related to nonproliferation. Topics discussed have included Going to Zero, Treaty Verification, and Modeling and Simulation for Nonproliferation.
• PNNL and OSU developed a course on International Law, Arms Control and Nonproliferation, and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

University of Washington

PNNL and the University of Washington (UW) have a long history of collaboration, including the following:

• Jackson School Nonproliferation: UW’s nonproliferation curriculum is the product of collaboration between PNNL’s Center for Global Security and the UW Jackson School of International Studies and Department of Political Science.
• Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity: PNNL's scientific partnership with the UW Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity secured its spot as one of the first centers in the United States to be designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
• Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing: Founded jointly by PNNL and UW in 2013, the Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing is both a physical and “virtual” collaborative center designed to maximize the impact of computing on transformative discoveries that fuel scientific and societal progress.

Washington State University

PNNL works closely with the WSU Tri-Cities and Pullman campuses, with collaborations including the following:

• The Bioproducts, Sciences & Engineering Laboratory is a joint effort between WSU and PNNL where researchers are developing technology for converting low-value agricultural byproducts and residues into value-added chemicals for products like plastics, solvents, fibers, pharmaceuticals, and fuel additives.
• The NNSA’s Next-Generation Safeguards Initiative student team collaborates with expert researchers on nonproliferation projects at PNNL through the WSU Industrial Design Clinic of the Materials Science and Engineering Program.
• PNNL works with WSU’s Department of Chemistry to provide hands-on exercises to students in radiochemistry and nuclear science focus areas.

PNNL also engages WSU students through internship assignments, tours, short courses, and conferences.

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies/Nuclear Threat Initiative

The Nuclear Threat Initiative, in partnership with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, offers educational tutorials to build understanding of complex nuclear security issues. The interactive tutorials include overviews of key issues, a glossary, maps, and quizzes.

International

PNNL has trained more than 1,400 participants from over 35 countries and is continuously sought out as a training organization that has extensive experience in developing training to strengthen the capacity of our clients. In addition, PNNL has active engagement and long-standing relationships with nearly 100 countries worldwide.

International Atomic Energy Agency

World Institute of Nuclear Security

European Union Joint Research Centre

International Law Enforcement Academies