National Security Institute
Accelerating research to mission-ready solutions.
The Penn State National Security Institute advances national security solutions through
interdisciplinary research and strategic partnerships with government and industry.
Expanding a Legacy of Defense Innovation
Building on a legacy of impactful technologies and enduring collaborations, the Institute strengthens the nation’s safety and resilience while developing the next generation of security-focused researchers and leaders. By integrating expertise across disciplines and leveraging Penn State’s unparalleled scale, NSI serves as a unifying engine for innovation and impact.
NSI is not a policy institute. It is a research-driven engine designed to translate academic breakthroughs into real-world solutions for defense, homeland security, and allied industries.
A National Security Advantage
Scale and Breadth
As one of the world’s largest research universities, Penn State brings exceptional depth across disciplines, campuses, and partnerships with the Applied Research Lab—enabling a level of impact few institutions can match.
Research Excellence
Top-tier capabilities across engineering, science, materials, energy, robotics, and aerospace form the foundation of National Security Institute work.
Enduring Reach
A global alumni network and long-standing external partnerships extend NSI’s influence well beyond campus.
Translational Impact
A proven model that turns discovery into deployable, licensable solutions with impact beyond the lab.
“The National Security Institute will accelerate the development of technologies that help deliver cutting-edge and innovative solutions to our federal and industry partners. It builds on decades of defense-related research and the deep interdisciplinary strengths that define Penn State.”
– Andrew Read, Senior Vice President for Research
From Discovery to Impact
For decades, Penn State has been a trusted leader in defense research. The new NSI expands that commitment by creating a university-wide network that connects campuses, government agencies, and industry partners to accelerate research into real-world security solutions and develop a highly skilled, mission-ready workforce. NSI is designed to collaborate with Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory by unleashing both the intellectual and infrastructure capacity of the entire University.
Translational by Design
Unlike institutes focused primarily on public policy or workforce development, NSI prioritizes deployable technological solutions with impacts beyond meeting the critical needs of national security. Research is structured with translation in mind, enabling adoption across defense, homeland security, and commercial sectors for the benefit of the public good.
A Culture of “We”
Guided by Penn State’s interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, NSI brings researchers together across colleges and campuses, in partnership with government and industry, to solve our nation’s critical challenges positioning the institute as a national epicenter for innovation that translates into deployable solutions.
Meet our People
The faculty and staff of the National Security Institute represent a wide range of academic disciplines. Working across those boundaries, they strengthen the nation’s safety and resilience while developing the next generation of security-focused researchers and leaders.
Our people work at the cutting edge of their fields, translating academic breakthroughs into real-world solutions for defense, homeland security, and allied industries.
