The Notre Dame Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL) has long been known for being a world leader in nuclear astrophysics research. As evidence, a recent analysis of publications in nuclear astrophysics shows that Notre Dame affiliated researchers have published more papers in the field during the last decade than any other institution world-wide. The list of frequent publishers is led by Friemann Professor of Physics Michael Wiescher with 270 nuclear astrophysics publications during the last decade. Prof. Wiescher was the long-time director of the NSL and the founder of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA).

The NSL is the research base for sixteen Notre Dame faculty members who have recently published nuclear astrophysics research, and NSL researchers operate three accelerators locally and fourth a mile underground in South Dakota, which when combined with unique experimental equipment enables a broad range of nuclear astrophysics studies.