The National Laboratory and Security Office (NLSO) will oversee relationships between the university and agencies dedicated to energy resilience and security. Located in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), the NLSO cultivates relationships with the Department of Energy national labs and agencies in the national intelligence program.

The NLSO will be led by Dr. Marian Rice. “We are thrilled to launch NLSO. This an exciting opportunity to continue to build our existing relationships with National Laboratories and forge new relationships. We look forward to connecting our talented University of Utah and National Lab faculty with cutting-edge research.”

Her team includes a research development specialist, corporate relations manager, public relations and communications – often referred to as Public Affairs across the federal workforce – as well as an administrative manager. NLSO falls under the purview of Dr. Jake Jensen, the Assistant Vice President for Research (AVPR).

According to Jensen, “Not only is this an important move for the University of Utah, but there is an important milestone to recognize here: we are the first National Lab and Security Office in Utah. This creates a lot of opportunity for not just the U of U, but the entire State.”

Funded by the Department of Energy, the National Laboratories are key drivers of research and innovation in science and technology. The National Labs address large scale, complex research and development challenges with a multidisciplinary approach that places an emphasis on translating basic science to innovation.

There are seventeen National Laboratories spread across the United States, such as the INL (Idaho National Lab), Sandia, Argonne, and others. The University of Utah NLSO is here to work with labs and agencies for:

• Developing Contracts, MOUs, and Agreement
• Establishing and Maintaining Research Connections
• Supporting Researcher and Student Placement
• Aligning the University with National Strategy

In addition to the National Labs, the NLSO cultivates opportunities with the National Intelligence Community which includes the Department of Energy. The National Intelligence Community consists of eighteen organizations. Two are independent agencies – the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – and sixteen elements located in other units.

Rice added, “We’re also here to serve as a talent pipeline to place our students into high impact and high paying jobs with National Labs that shape the future of energy and security in the United States. There is so much opportunity here.”

Learn more about NLSO at their website