Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Editorial estimate, not verified fact — Disclaimer

U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory for scientific research, supercomputing, and nuclear science

Data Confidence: 72% · Sources: 1 · Last Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Assets Under Control ▲: $2.4B
Reach ▲: 100.0K people
Power ▲: Oak Ridge National Laboratory commands a $2.4 billion annual budget and an 18-square-kilometer facility housing critical national scientific infrastructure, including the Frontier supercomputer, the Spallation Neutron Source, and the High Flux Isotope Reactor.
Influence ▲: Its breakthroughs in nuclear engineering—including early light-water reactor designs adapted for U.S. Navy submarines—and pioneering work in medical isotope production established foundations for modern nuclear energy and modern radiation medicine.
Network ▲: Administered by UT–Battelle, LLC, the laboratory maintains deep institutional ties across the U.S. Department of Energy, the University of Tennessee, Battelle Memorial Institute, and hosts over 3,200 guest researchers annually.
Legacy ▲: Established during World War II for the Manhattan Project, ORNL developed the world's first continuous-operation nuclear reactor (X-10) and spent over eight decades advancing computational science, nuclear safety standards, fusion plasma research, and biology.
Trajectory ▲: Rising ↑ — first assessment on record.

About

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a federally funded research and development center located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Founded in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project to house the X-10 Graphite Reactor, it is sponsored by the United States Department of Energy and administered by UT–Battelle, LLC. Operating on a $2.4 billion annual budget with a workforce of 5,700, ORNL focuses on high-performance computing, nuclear science, materials development, and national security.

Known For

Being the largest U.S. Department of Energy science and energy laboratory by size, housing the Frontier supercomputer, and pioneering early nuclear reactor designs and medical isotopes.