Ames Laboratory

Ames Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Laboratory managed by Iowa State University, creates materials and energy solutions. With its roots in the Manhattan Project, Ames Laboratory today seeks solutions to energy-related problems of national importance through the exploration of physics, chemistry, engineering, applied mathematics, and materials sciences.

Ames Laboratory accelerates the discovery of new materials and adds value by sharing these materials and its expertise with the scientific community and partners throughout the U.S. and the world. We advance and promote the application of these materials for economic and national security. Through Strategic Partnership Projects, Ames Laboratory enhances our national and economic competitiveness while reducing technical barriers for U.S. industry. We are a top national laboratory in converting science into licensed technologies.

Today, we are addressing the global challenge of critical materials as we lead the Critical Materials Institute, a DOE Energy Innovation Hub. And we are tackling the 100-year-old technology of compressed vapor refrigeration to significantly improve efficiency and reliability through the CaloriCoolTM consortium, part of DOE's Energy Materials Network.

Ames Lab's Materials Preparation Center is recognized by researchers worldwide for its unique capabilities in the purification, preparation, and characterization of rare earths and other materials. We also characterize materials with specialty tools we develop and with world-leading capabilities at our Sensitive Instrument Facility.