About a mile from the laboratory’s boundary, Freels Bend Cabin sits atop a rise overlooking Melton Hill Lake. 

ORNL user facilities advance research in a wide range of science and technology, from explorations of the nature of the universe and its origins to the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that keep the United States competitive.

A reality in science today is that in order to study the smallest, most fundamental elements of nature, scientists need access to some of the world’s largest and most powerful research centers — with facilities often costing billions of dollars.

While ORNL's Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility often makes headlines for hosting the world's fastest supercomputers, its ultimate achievement is more complex: helping researchers solve some of the world’s most challenging scientific problems.

When U.S. industries need to research, test, troubleshoot and perfect an innovation before it reaches the marketplace, many turn to DOE’s applied science user facilities at ORNL.

ORNL scientists clearly invent technologies and processes, and the laboratory wants to make them available to U.S. companies with the goal of improving the national economy.

ORNL is deeply involved in the race to mitigate climate change. With a staff of world-class experts in fields ranging from ecology to chemistry to computer science and the nation’s most powerful supercomputer, the lab helps us understand the problems that lie ahead and evaluate potential solutions.