DNN TecH University Consortia
In 2024, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through its NA-22 Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D), awarded $50 million in cooperative agreements to two university-led consortia—one led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the other by the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Each consortium is eligible to receive up to $5 million annually for five years, supporting both the education of the next generation of nuclear security and nonproliferation experts and the advancement of mission-critical research aligned with NNSA’s strategic goals.
The Institute for Nuclear Security (INS) plays a central leadership role in the UT-led DNN TecH consortium, serving as an award chair. This strategic support has enabled INS to pursue the SaltLab and HexLab projects.
SaltLab
The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) Institute for Nuclear Security (INS) Halide Salt Production Laboratory (SaltLab) is a well-equipped wet chemistry radioactive handling research laboratory dedicated to high fidelity synthesis of uranium halide salts including uranium tetrafluoride (UF4), uranium tetrachloride (UCl4) and ammonium fluorouranate complexes (NH4)X-4UFX. 
The aqueous salt syntheses conducted in SaltLab are pursued through several different pathways modeled from international legacy nuclear fuel cycle conversion process flowsheets using the facilities of INS that include specialized technical-grade corrosion-proof fume hoods equipped with compact effluent scrubber systems, radiation exhaust monitoring, and dual-bay HEPA-filtered controlled atmosphere gloveboxes designed to implement advanced nuclear chemical engineering applied research.
The overarching research objective of SaltLab is to investigate nuclear nonproliferation research areas that are critical to The Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) under the funding support of the Enabling Capabilities in Technology (TECH) Consortium.
SaltLab serves as the precursor to the Uranium Hexafluoride Laboratory (HexLab), supplying the adjacent lab with uranium feedstock material to safely execute the dry fluorination conversion process of the nuclear fuel cycle.