PNNL

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) formalized a new strategic partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) designed to expand research collaboration, strengthen the talent pipeline, and accelerate the adoption of new technologies between the institutions.

Leaders from both institutions gathered September 14, 2026, at Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF) in Atlanta to formally sign the MOU, establishing a framework for expanded research collaboration and new opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.

The agreement recognizes the complementary strengths of a leading research university and a Department of Energy national laboratory and creates a path for those strengths to be amplified on a larger scale. Rather than relying solely on individual researcher-to-researcher collaborations, the MOU calls for deeper institutional engagement around shared strategic priorities.

Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech’s executive vice president for Research, and Steve Biegalski, program chair of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics, hosted PNNL leadership. This included Laboratory Director Deb Gracio and Deputy Director for Science and Technology Bill Pike. Together they discussed institutional priorities and future opportunities before the MOU signing.

“PNNL and Georgia Tech have a long history of working together,” Gracio said. “This agreement provides the foundation to take on difficult research challenges and to leverage our complementary expertise and investments in the years ahead.”

Pike acknowledged the collaboration between PNNL and Georgia Tech. The two organizations will work together on two upcoming Genesis Mission projects.

“We are excited to build on our strong track record and expand the scope and impact of our collaborations with Georgia Tech,” Pike said. “The Genesis Mission projects that we are partnering on will apply artificial intelligence to advance biomanufacturing and enable trustworthy autonomous operations in small modular reactors and microreactors, bringing together our complementary strengths while supporting faculty and student engagement.”

Following the ceremony, PNNL leadership toured the AMPF, an example of Georgia Tech’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and another opportunity for researchers and leaders to identify areas for future partnerships.

"Strengthening our partnerships with national laboratories is a strategic priority for Georgia Tech,” Lieuwen said. "PNNL is an outstanding partner and we look forward to deepening connections among our researchers and students, expanding opportunities and access to world-class capabilities and facilities, and advancing discovery, innovation, and national impact together."

The institutions will explore areas of mutual interest in data science and visual analytics, cybersecurity of critical physical infrastructure, nuclear science and engineering, and more, through joint meetings and workshops.

"This MOU formalizes and strengthens relationships that have been growing for many years," said Scott McWhorter, director of national laboratory partnerships at Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute (SEI). “It leverages the unique strengths of Georgia Tech and PNNL and provides a framework for expanding engagement across areas of mutual interest.”

The National Laboratory Partnerships Program provides a framework for strategic engagement between Georgia Tech and the national laboratories. The PNNL agreement is the first formal agreement established through the program since its transition to the SEI.

Together, Georgia Tech and PNNL are laying the groundwork for a partnership that can connect discovery to application, prepare the next generation of STEM talent, and turn ambitious research ideas into technologies with impact beyond the Lab.