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Home ›› Submit ›› STI Product Types ››

Classified and UCNI

The AN 241.5 provides the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) with information required to appropriately identify, process, and/or announce, and disseminate the scientific and technical information (STI) results of classified or unclassified controlled nuclear information (UCNI) work funded by DOE/NNSA or performed in DOE/NNSA facilities or predecessor agencies. Classified and UCNI STI products are submitted securely by DOE and DOE contractors via the Classified E-Link product on the Enterprise Secure Network (ESN).

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (link is external), and Executive Order 13526 (link is external) serve as the basis for identifying classified information generated by the Department. Classified information is defined as certain information that the United States Government has determined requires protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security (i.e., Restricted Data, Formerly Restricted Data, Transclassified Foreign Nuclear Information, and National Security Information). The unauthorized dissemination of UCNI is prohibited under Section 148 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (link is external). UCNI is identified and controlled as directed in DOE Order 471.1B, Identification and Protection of Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information (link is external); and Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1017, Identification and Protection of Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information (link is external).

Classified and UCNI STI products transmitted to OSTI are to be properly marked with the appropriate announcement and/or access limitations on the accompanying announcement notice. Caveats and special control markings are placed on documents to identify special handling or dissemination requirements, or to assist in describing the type of information involved. Refer to CMPC Marking Resource (link is external) for marking examples.

DOE Order 475.2B, Identifying Classified Information (link is external), requires organizations to submit bibliographic information and, if available, an electronic version of the document to OSTI for every document that is declassified and determined to be publicly releasable. This ensures that it gets included in the Department's OpenNet (link is external) product. To ensure access to the appropriate audience, originating sites are further required to send classification change notices to OSTI for all declassifications, classification upgrades, and classification downgrades of STI products. STI documents that have been declassified, in accordance with requirements prescribed in DOE Order 475.2B, Identifying Classified Information (link is external) may not automatically be released to the public. Information contained in the declassified document may still be exempt from public release based on one or more of the Freedom of Information Act exemptions. Classified information products that have been declassified should also be reviewed by the originating site for controlled unclassified information and official results submitted to OSTI.

For more information regarding classified and UCNI STI submissions, contact OSTI's Classification Officer, David Gottholm, at (865) 576-2623 or gottholmd@osti.gov or your Classified STIP Site Liaison.