Nuclear Laboratory Capabilities for 21st Century National Security
| Date | Friday, March 6, 2009 |
| Location | Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2105 |
The Security for a New Century Study Group was honored to host Elizabeth “Libby” Turpen, co-director of the Cooperative Nonproliferation Program at The Henry L. Stimson Center, and David O. Overskei, president of Decision Factors Inc., for a discussion of their task force’s recent report, “Leveraging the S&T Capabilities of the NNSA National Laboratories for 21st Century National Security.” Their presentation focused on the report’s key findings and recommendations.
The task force set out to assess the status of the national nuclear labs because it sensed a “gathering storm” in the steady erosion of US S&T dominance. A decline in federal funding for basic research has been matched by an increase in investment from the private sector, but the latter is generally less interested in backing long-term, high risk research. During the Cold War, scientists and engineers were given a lot of resources and latitude to fulfill arms race requirements, but without such an overarching goal, the weapons budget will decrease. Within the Department of Energy, there will be a collision of increased attention to energy security and decreased weapons funding that will leave certain important research unaccounted for.
What can be done to reverse this gathering storm? The task force suggests an integrated S&T national security strategy where the labs, industry and academia work together to halt the decline and establish a responsive and agile S&T base. Current tools available for cooperation include memorandums of understanding, work-for-others agreements, and industry partnerships. A higher-order consideration is the troubled relationship between the DoE/NNSA and the labs themselves.
The task force’s proposed Agency for National Security Applications would help incorporate the interests and needs of the various actors from both a strategic and tactical point of view. The Agency, led by a board of directors from relevant departments and agencies, would be advised by industry and academic experts; they would ensure that the labs and other federally funded research and development centers work together effectively to advance S&T progress without compromising national security capabilities.
“Security for a New Century” is a bipartisan study group for Congress. We meet regularly with U.S. and international policy professionals to discuss the post-Cold War and post-9/11 security environment. All discussions are off-the-record. It is not an advocacy venue. Please call (202) 223-5956 for more information.