Purdue, Los Alamos sign MOU to collaborate on national security research

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Purdue University and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to advance a transformative research partnership focused on national security and cutting-edge technologies. 

Purdue President Mung Chiang and LANL Director Thom Mason signed the MOU in Los Alamos, New Mexico, on Monday.

According to a news release, the agreement establishes a new framework for both organizations to pursue joint research and innovation in areas critical to national defense and global security, including:

• Energetics.
• Advanced materials for hypersonics.
• Cybersecurity.
• Computational modeling and simulation for utilization of AI technologies.

The MOU is part of a broader commitment by both institutions to deepen collaboration in support of their shared missions. In addition to joint research, the agreement outlines potential future initiatives to colocate researchers to strengthen coordination. As part of this vision, LANL will seek to establish a duty station near Purdue. This step would enable LANL and Purdue personnel to engage more deeply in mission-aligned research.

Together, these efforts aim to create a hub for shared research, innovation, and workforce development aligned with national priorities.

“Purdue researchers have collaborated with Los Alamos National Lab researchers for decades since the Manhattan Project. This MOU creates a new framework for partnering in the research capabilities and infrastructures of both Purdue and Los Alamos to make critical advances that strengthen our national security,” Chiang said. “It is a particularly important milestone for the university as we welcome the first colocation of a DOE national lab.”

“Our collaboration with Purdue University builds on a strong foundation for advancing research critical to national security,” Mason said. “This partnership will help accelerate progress in hypersonic materials, cybersecurity, AI-driven modeling and more. Purdue is a natural partner in tackling the complex challenges vital to our nation’s future.”

Purdue and LANL share a collaborative legacy dating back to World War II, when faculty and graduate students relocated to Los Alamos to work on the laboratory’s cyclotron and nuclear cross-section measurements under the Manhattan Project. Since then, Purdue and LANL have continued to collaborate on nuclear science, materials engineering and computational modeling research.

“The research envisioned under this MOU builds upon a long-standing partnership with LANL and positions Indiana at the forefront of national security innovation,” said Dan DeLaurentis, Purdue’s executive vice president for research. “This will further bolster Indiana’s already strong national security research ecosystem and will add to our high-technology workforce development programming by creating new opportunities for students and researchers.”

The MOU takes effect immediately and extends through 2030.

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