Neutron Sciences Directorate

The Neutron Sciences Directorate (NScD) here at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks to answer big science questions about the fundamental nature of materials at the atomic scale. By answering these questions, neutrons help spur innovations that improve our daily lives: more powerful computers, more effective drugs, longer lasting batteries, and more. NScD achieves its mission by delivering a world-class neutron science program made possible by the safe and reliable operation of two of the most advanced neutron scattering facilities in the world: the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). These two facilities are funded by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science and Office of Basic Energy Sciences You can learn more about neutron sciences and ORNL through various educational and outreach opportunities, including schools, programs, news stories and outreach directed at scientists who come from all over the globe to use our facilities for their research or are thinking about coming here and want to learn more.