LANL’s LDRD Program
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program helps solve national security challenges through excellence in mission-focused science, technology, and engineering (ST&E). The Department of Energy (DOE) Laboratory and Site-Directed Research and Development programs are among the most impactful sources of research and development for our Nation. The heart of the LDRD program is high-risk, high-reward research that creates innovative technical solutions for some of the Nation’s most difficult challenges. The LDRD programs follow strategic guidance derived from the missions of the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and the Laboratory.
To execute that strategy, the Los Alamos LDRD program creates an innovation pipeline, drawing upon the creativity of the Laboratory’s best and brightest researchers. Blending strategic guidance with grassroots innovation ensures a continuous stream of mission-relevant capabilities, enabling the Laboratory to respond quickly and effectively to evolving national security challenges.
Funded with five to six percent of the Laboratory’s operating budget, the LDRD program makes it possible for our scientists and engineers to pursue cutting-edge research and development in support of mission. This in turn helps the Laboratory, and the Nation, maintain its position of scientific and technological leadership.
