National Research Nuclear University MEPhI / NRNU MEPhI, NIYaU MEPhI or MEPhI) (Russian: Национальный исследовательский ядерный университет “МИФИ” / НИЯУ “МИФИ” or МИФИ) is one of the most recognized technical universities in Russia. MEPhI was founded in 1942 as the Moscow Mechanical Institute of Munitions (Russian: Московский механический институт боеприпасов, ММИБ), but it was soon renamed the Moscow Mechanical Institute. Its original mission was to train skilled personnel for the Soviet military and atomic programs. It was renamed the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (Russian: Московский инженерно-физический институт) in 1953, which was its name until 2009. By the law document, issued by the Russian Government on April 8, 2009 (#480-r) on behalf of Russian President's law document of October 7, 2008 (#1448) "On the pilot project launching on creating National Research Universities" the university MEPhI was granted this new status. The university was reorganized.