The Department’s Unclassified Foreign Visits and Assignments Program, March 2008: “The Department of Energy’s national laboratories and various Federal officials interact with thousands of foreign national visitors and assignees every year. Visits and assignments are for a variety of purposes, including research collaborations and access to
scientific user facilities. While the Department reports that these interactions stimulate ideas and foster research, they also carry inherent security risks. The Office of Foreign Visits and Assignments and the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence help the
Department ensure that security risks are addressed while fostering collaboration with foreign nationals.”