United States Naval Research Laboratory

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Aerial view in 2021
Established1923 (1923)
Research typeBasic and Applied Research
Budget$1.1 billion[1]
Field of research
DirectorDr. Bruce Danly
Staff2,538 civilian
86 military (2015)
LocationWashington, D.C., United States
38°49′21″N 77°01′30″W / 38.82250°N 77.02500°W / 38.82250; -77.02500
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Active1923–present
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
 United States Marine Corps
TypeResearch
Websitenrl.navy.mil
Commanders
CommanderCapt. Jesse H. Black
Director of ResearchDr. Bruce Danly
Naval Research Laboratory seal

The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. It was founded in 1923 and conducts basic scientific research, applied research, technological development and prototyping. The laboratory's specialties include plasma physics, space physics, materials science, and tactical electronic warfare. NRL is one of the first US government scientific R&D laboratories, having opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison, and is currently under the Office of Naval Research.[2]

As of 2016, NRL was a Navy Working Capital Fund activity, which means it is not a line-item in the US Federal Budget. Instead of direct funding from Congress, all costs, including overhead, were recovered through sponsor-funded research projects. NRL's research expenditures were approximately $1 billion per year.[3]

  1. ^ "Facts,Figures" (PDF). Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Mission". U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference factbook_2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).