Chemical science in support of Los Alamos mission

The Chemistry Division serves the Laboratory's mission with innovative chemical science and technology for energy research, threat identification and mitigation, weapons science, health, space, and much more.

Our capabilities are also essential for the emerging mission areas of energy security, civilian-sector R&D, and industrial partnering.

Core capabilities

• Actinide chemistry
• Isotope science
• Synthetic and mechanistic chemistry
• Chemistry for measurement and detection science
• Chemistry of materials
• Data analysis and modeling for chemical sciences
• Radiochemistry and nuclear science

About us

Chemistry Division is composed of the division office and five technical groups. Each group name gives an indication of the types of activities being pursued within the group. Including technical staff members, technicians, support personnel, students, and postdoctoral researchers, there are approximately 450 people in the division.

Many of the research and development projects in the division span several groups and divisions, and a number of them involve partnerships with academia, industry, or both.

Our annual budget of approximately $95 million comes from a diverse set of program offices within the Laboratory. These offices focus on nuclear weapons, threat reduction, homeland security, science, applied energy, and environment. They serve as the interfaces with program elements of the Department of Energy and other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and more.

Postdocs and students

Postdoctoral and student employees account for roughly 20% of our workforce and join us from colleges and universities around the country and the world. They bring new ideas and techniques from their most recent appointments and contribute to our division’s vitality and development.

Over the years, many of our postdoctoral fellows have joined the Laboratory as technical staff members. Others have gone on to academic, research, national laboratory, or industrial appointments.