Purdue, Oak Ridge National Laboratory sign MOU to collaborate on key national security research

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance their long-standing research collaboration focused on national security. Dan DeLaurentis, Purdue’s executive vice president for research, and Moe Khaleel, ORNL associate laboratory director for national security sciences, signed the MOU during a recent meeting at ORNL.

Under the agreement, Purdue and ORNL will pursue new research collaboration opportunities to enhance national defense. Research areas covered by the MOU —which are also key aspects of the strategic Purdue Computes initiative — include:

• Cyber-physical security of critical infrastructure and systems
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Quantum computing

In addition, Purdue and ORNL will explore opportunities to collaborate in national security manufacturing to enhance domestic production and ensure the ability to produce defense equipment, technologies and components essential for a nation to adequately protect itself and address potential threats.

“By combining research efforts of Purdue and Oak Ridge National Lab under this MOU, we are leveraging the strengths of two world-class research institutions for the national good,” DeLaurentis said. “This also further positions Indiana at the forefront of national security innovation while contributing to national defense workforce development programming by creating new opportunities for students and researchers.”

“Purdue’s wide national security research portfolio and deep research expertise complement ORNL’s ability to translate science into solutions for critical national security missions,” Khaleel said. “This partnership will help address key national needs by accelerating progress in cyber-physical security, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”

Finalized in October, the MOU took effect immediately.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu