Brookhaven National Laboratory

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, New York, that conducts basic and applied research across a range of scientific disciplines. Its core mission includes advancing knowledge in nuclear and particle physics, energy sciences, condensed matter physics, biology, and environmental science through the operation of large‑scale user facilities and laboratory‑based investigations. The laboratory also supports the development of the scientific workforce by hosting graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers from universities and industry. BNL serves the broader scientific community, federal agencies, and industrial partners by providing access to specialized instruments, data, and expertise that support experiments ranging from fundamental subatomic studies to applied energy technology development. The laboratory’s work contributes to national priorities such as clean energy innovation, nuclear security, and scientific discovery that underpins technological competitiveness.

Brookhaven National Laboratory employs roughly three thousand scientists, engineers, and support staff who work across its campus and at its user facilities. Among its distinguishing attributes are the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the world’s only polarized proton collider, and the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS‑II), which delivers ultra‑bright x‑rays for materials and biological research. The lab also hosts the Center for Functional Nanomaterials and the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory, underscoring its strength in accelerator science, nanoscience, and radiation effects studies. Structurally, BNL is owned by the U.S. Government and operated under contract by Brookhaven Science Associates, a partnership formed by Stony Brook University and Battelle Memorial Institute. In August 2022 the laboratory was the target of a phishing campaign conducted by the Russian hacker group Cold River, which sought to compromise credentials of scientists working on nuclear research, illustrating the institution’s relevance to national security and its exposure to cyber‑threats.