Technical services typically necessitate working with interrelated processes and a number of interactive and interdependent systems. Systems Engineering requires the careful design, definition, control, feedback and refinement of system processes, sub-systems, and interfaces. In addition to many scientific and technical subject matter experts (SMEs), Keystone retains a number of professionals whose expertise includes systems engineering, to include:

• System and component design, development, and fabrication
• Requirements definition and refinement
• Interface definition
• Procurement engineering
• Quality assessment and assurance

Research and development, or R&D, is virtually limitless but is foundational to assisting our customer’s needs. Keystone’s focus has been, and will continue to be, on specific challenges confronting clients with funding resources available to pursue R&D. R&D can be self-directed as an integral aspect of an operating budget or performed for another agency, client or organization. Areas of expertise include:

• Market Analysis
• Product design, competition and demand
• Funding assessment, availability, and management
• Security and vulnerability analysis
• Diagnostic development and testing of advanced concepts

Knowledge transfer and training of the next generation of technical staff working in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) enterprise is a key component of maintaining our Nation’s nuclear readiness. The staff at the Nuclear Weapons Laboratories who have first-hand knowledge of weapons testing, diagnostics, and history diminishes each year. Keystone has a number of staff that have this knowledge and are passionate about passing along their experiences to the next generation of staff and leaders. Keystone has experts that provide training and knowledge preservation in a number of areas including:

• Nuclear weapon testing expertise
• Nuclear physics expertise
• Nuclear diagnostics and containment
• Radiation detection and safety expertise
• Explosive testing and safety

While emergency preparedness has always been a concern of individuals, families, communities, nations and alliances, specific events (e.g., 911 terrorists attack, domestic attacks, COVID-19, etc.) continue to evolve the Nation’s view of emergency preparedness. Keystone has been active in this field since the 1990s, and has played a pivotal role in providing essential training to first responders (nuclear response teams, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical personnel) throughout the country in the areas of:

• Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and delivery systems
• Web-based WMD training courses
• Nonproliferation and counter-proliferation
• Radiation detector and sensor capabilities and shortfalls
• Man portable, mobile and aerial radiological detection support
• Exercise planning, execution and evaluation
• Radiological incident response
• Incident response and mitigation
• Consequence response and management
• First responder training
• Mobile training teams
• Safeguards and security

Keystone has and continues to work with the Nation’s National Weapons Laboratories (NWLs), providing technical expertise to projects intended to detect illicit use of nuclear materials, explosives, and testing. Keystone’s expertise places it in a unique position to contribute to nuclear security and non-proliferation activities in the areas of:

• Diagnostic systems design, development and installation
• Data acquisition and analysis
• Testing and evaluation
• Weapons’ physics
• Science based stockpile stewardship
• Subcritical experiments (SCEs)
• Radiation detection and safety expertise
• Explosive dynamics and testing

In today’s demanding world, program/project management is crucial to success both in terms of convincing customers to invest and in the successful execution of a program/project. Outstanding technical performance is no longer sufficient for success. A detailed program/project plan that includes deliverables, technical scope, schedule, resource loading, risks and mitigation strategies, and cost projections are equally important. Keystone has done precisely this on hundreds of purchase and task orders for almost 30 years, and provides expertise to customers in their program management initiatives. Efficient program and project management draws heavily upon:

• Project controls engineering
• Risk Assessment and Analysis
• Procurement strategies
• Labor projections and continual refinement
• Execution data collection and analysis
• Quality Assessment and Control
• Monitoring and supervision

Keystone’s emphasis has been on assisting clients with the development and marketing of high-tech products and services that are heavily dependent on technology. The intricacies of scientific and technical business development, whether focused on a product or service, can vary considerably from general consumer products and services – especially when the client resides in the public sector. Keystone has successfully demonstrated repeatedly that it is comfortable and proficient in this environment. Examples of the expertise provided to business development initiatives include:

• Planning, programming and budgeting
• Market analysis, including range and stable of contacts
• Insight into commercial, government and international trends
• Familiarity with the political environment
• Comprehensive, detailed background information
• A strong technical staff to pull from
• Emphasis on deal makers

Keystone prides itself on its broadly educated and diverse staff that has demonstrated over and over an uncanny knack for completing succinct, understandable technical articles, presentations, reports and white papers. Whether drafting assessments, original research or developing new lines of business, Keystone’s writing talent is always in demand.

• White papers
• Briefings and presentations
• Assessments
• Publication editing and review
• Security review
• Archiving

Many times, a new or existing initiative or research area requires an independent review from experts who have run similar projects, research initiatives, and/or programs. Many of our staff have worked for the National Weapons Laboratories (NWLs), Departments of Defense and Energy, Armed Forces, large commercial enterprises, and major universities. They have envisioned, executed, and/or provided the leadership required to make a program or R&D initiative successful from hypothesis to realization. These experts provide a unique resource that can be used by government agencies and the private sector to serve on technical review boards providing independent assessments of programs and R&D portfolios. Keystone has a diverse team of talented staff educated in:

• Advanced research and development
• Nuclear chemistry
• Nuclear physics
• Radiation sciences,
• Mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering
• Engineering sciences
• Security systems, and
• Weapon engineers and testing