Our History A Passion for Discovery, a History of Scientific Achievement

Brookhaven National Laboratory was established in 1947 on the eastern end of Long Island at the former site of the U.S. Army’s Camp Upton. Originally built out of a post-World War II desire to explore the peaceful applications of atomic energy, the Laboratory now has a broader mission: to perform basic and applied research at the frontiers of science, including nuclear and high-energy physics; physics and chemistry of materials; nanoscience; energy and environmental research; national security and nonproliferation; neurosciences; structural biology; and computational sciences. Over its history, Brookhaven Lab has housed three research reactors, numerous one-of-a-kind particle accelerators, and other cutting-edge research facilities responsible for discoveries leading to many advances for science and society as well as seven Nobel Prizes.