Argonne is one of the U.S. government's oldest and largest science and engineering research laboratories -- the largest in the Midwest. For the past half-century, the University of Chicago has overseen operation of Argonne for the United States Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies.

Argonne has four major mission areas, each of which fulfills important governmental and Department of Energy responsibilities, as well as provides important benefits to our society at large. They are:

1. Conducting basic scientific research to further our understanding of the world we live in. Argonne conducts basic experimental and theoretical scientific research in the physical, life, and environmental sciences.
   
   
2. Operating national scientific facilities to help advance America's scientific leadership. Argonne operates world-class research facilities like the Advanced Photon Source.
   
   
3. Enhancing the nation's energy resources to ensure America's energy future. Argonne is working to develop and evaluate advanced energy technologies.
   
   
4. Developing better ways to manage environmental problems. Argonne is at the forefront in developing new ways to manage and solve the nation's environmental problems and to promote environmental stewardship.

At the same time, Argonne is also conscious of its responsibility to help the public understand science and to enhance American science, engineering, and mathematics education by helping to train nearly 1,000 college graduate students and post-doctoral researchers every year as part of our normal research and development activities.

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