Provided below is a listing in reverse chronological order of BES-sponsored workshop reports that address the status of some important research areas. These reports do not include those resulting from the "Basic Research Needs" (BRN) Workshop series that are used to help identify research directions for a decades-to-century energy strategy. The BRN reports are available here.
Longer abstracts of these reports
Neutron and X-ray Detectors
This report is based on a BES Workshop to itemize research directions for neutron and x-ray detectors, held August 1–3, 2012, by characterizing the gaps between detector development and source advances and identifying opportunities to maximize the scientific impact for BES user facilities. (more)
PDF file of this of report
(7.9MB)
Research Needs and Impacts in Predictive Simulation for Internal Combustion Engines (PreSICE)
This report is based on a SC/EERE Workshop to Identify Research Needs and Impacts in Predictive Simulation for Internal Combustion Engines (PreSICE), held March 3, 2011, to determine strategic focus areas that will accelerate innovation in engine design to meet national goals in transportation efficiency. (more)
PDF file of this of report (1.9MB)
Report of the Basic Energy Sciences Workshop on Compact Light Sources
This report is based on a BES Workshop on Compact Light Sources, held May 11-12, 2010, to evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of compact light source approaches and compared their performance to the third generation storage rings and free-electron lasers. (more)
PDF file of this report (2.8MB)
Basic Research Needs for Carbon Capture: Beyond 2020
This report is based on a SC/FE workshop on Carbon Capture: Beyond 2020, held March 4–5, 2010, to assess the basic research needed to address the current technical bottlenecks in carbon capture processes and to identify key research priority directions that will provide the foundations for future carbon capture technologies. (more)
PDF file of this of report (6.3MB)
Computational Materials Science and Chemistry:
Accelerating Discovery and Innovation through Simulation-Based Engineering and Science
This report is based on a SC Workshop on Computational Materials Science and Chemistry for Innovation on July 26–27, 2010, to assess the potential of state-of-the-art computer simulations to accelerate understanding and discovery in materials science and chemistry, with a focus on potential impacts in energy technologies and innovation. (more)
PDF file of this report (6.4MB)
Future Science Needs and Opportunities for Electron Scattering:
Next-Generation Instrumentation and Beyond
This report is based on a BES Workshop entitled "Future Science Needs and Opportunities for Electron Scattering: Next-Generation Instrumentation and Beyond," March 1–2, 2007, to identify emerging basic science and engineering research needs and opportunities that will require major advances in electron-scattering theory, technology, and instrumentation. (more)
PDF file of this report (2.9MB)
The Path to Sustainable Nuclear Energy
Basic and Applied Research Opportunities for Advanced Fuel Cycles
This report is based on a small DOE-sponsored workshop held in September 2005 to identify new basic science that will be the foundation for advances in nuclear fuel-cycle technology in the near term, and for changing the nature of fuel cycles and of the nuclear energy industry in the long term. (more)
PDF file of this report (864KB)
Advanced Computational Materials Science:
Application to Fusion and Generation IV Fission Reactors
This report is based on a workshop
held March 31–April 2, 2004, to determine the degree to which an increased effort in modeling and simulation could help bridge the gap between the data that is needed to support the implementation of advanced nuclear technologies and the data that can be obtained in available experimental facilities. (more)
PDF file of this report (692KB)
Opportunities for Discovery:
Theory and Computation in Basic Energy Sciences
This report is based on the deliberations of the BESAC Subcommittee on Theory and Computation following meetings on February 22 and April 17–16, 2004, to obtain testimony and discuss input from the scientific community on research directions for theory and computation to advance the scientific mission of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences. (more)
PDF file of this report (1.9MB)
Nanoscience Research for Energy Needs
This report is based upon a BES-cosponsored National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Workshop held March 16–18, 2004, by the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to address the Grand Challenge in Energy Conversion and Storage set out in the NNI. This report was originally released on June 24, 2004, during the Department of Energy NanoSummit. The second edition that is provided here was issued in June 2005. (more)
PDF file of this report (6.4MB)
DOE-NSF-NIH Workshop on Opportunities in THz Science
This report is based on a Workshop on Opportunities in Terahetrz (THz) Science held February 12–14, 2004, to discuss basic research problems that can be answered using THz radiation. The workshop did not focus on the wide range of potential applications of THz radiation in engineering, defense and homeland security, or the commercial and government sectors of the economy. The workshop was jointly sponsored by DOE, NSF, and NIH. (more)
PDF file of this report (9.8MB)
Theory and Modeling in Nanoscience
This report is based upon the May 10–11, 2002, workshop conducted jointly by the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee and the Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committees to identify challenges and opportunities for theory, modeling, and simulation in nanoscience and nanotechnology and to investigate the growing and promising role of applied mathematics and computer science in meeting those challenges. (more)
PDF file of this report (2.2MB)
Opportunities for Catalysis in the 21st Century
This report is based upon a Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee subpanel workshop that was held May 14–16, 2002, to identify research directions to better understand how to design catalyst structures to control catalytic activity and selectivity. (more)
PDF file of this report (1.0MB)
Biomolecular Materials
This report is based upon the January 13–15, 2002, workshop sponsored by the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee to explore the potential impact of biology on the physical sciences, in particular the materials and chemical sciences. (more)
PDF file of this report (8.9MB)
Basic Research Needs for Countering Terrorism
This report is based upon a BES workshop on basic research needs to counter terrorism that was held on February 28 and March 1, 2002, to identify connections between technology needs for countering terrorism and underlying science issues and to recommend investment strategies to increase the impact of basic research on efforts to counter terrorism. (more)
PDF file of this report (1.8MB)
Complex Systems: Science for the 21st Century
This report is based upon a BES workshop, March 5–6, 1999, which was designed to help define new scientific directions related to complex systems in order to create new understanding about the nano world and complicated, multicomponent structures. (more)
PDF file of this report (1.9MB)
Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology Research Directions
This report illustrates the wide range of research opportunities and challenges in nanoscale science, engineering and technology. It was prepared in 1999 in connection with the interagency national research initiative on nanotechnology. (more)
PDF file of this report (6.6MB)
"Basic Research Needs" Workshop series reports are available here.