Our Mission

DOE’s Office of Science has a mission to deliver scientific discoveries and major scientific tools to transform our understanding of nature and advance the energy, economic, and national security of the United States. We are the nation’s largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and are a major supporter of research in such key scientific fields as physics, materials science, computing, and chemistry. We are also the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research related to energy.

To keep America in the forefront of discovery and innovation, we sponsor research at hundreds of universities, national laboratories, and other institutions across the country. We also build and maintain a vitally important array of large-scale scientific facilities at the DOE national laboratories, which are used by thousands of researchers every year.

About the Office of Science

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science is the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences, the steward of 10 DOE national laboratories, and the lead federal agency supporting fundamental research for energy production and security. Our job is to keep America at the forefront of discovery. This video is an overview of the Office of Science’s mission, people, and resources.
Video courtesy of DOE's Office of Science

Science Headlines

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How Leafcutter Ants Cultivate a Fungal Garden to Degrade Plants and Provide Insights into Future Biofuels
PNNL scientists developed a new method to visualize tiny inner workings of complex fungal communities.
Ilenne Del Valle: Rooting Out Clues to Plant Health With Burbly Microbes
Del Valle is devising technologies like biosensors and artificial soils that can yield important clues on encouraging climate-resilient ecosystems.
A Day in the Life of a Human-in-the-Loop Engineer
Wan-Lin Hu’s job is to improve the way people and artificial intelligence collaborate to run SLAC’s complex machines.
A Celebration of Black History Month at Argonne
Profiles of six employees and one up-and-coming high school STEM student show how a diverse team drives Argonne’s science mission forward.

University and Stakeholder News

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UChicago, Argonne Study Finds Mouse and Primate Brains Mature at the Same Pace
A new study indicates that the brains of mice and primates develop along the same timeline, even though one is much longer-lived than the other.
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Giant Bacterium Powers Itself With Unique Processes
Researchers described the full genome of one species of the family of giant bacteria, large enough to be seen with the naked eye.
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Multitasking Microbes Could Improve Biofuel Economics, Climate Impact
University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists engineer bacteria to make two valuable products from plant fiber.
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Researchers Create First Logical Quantum Processor
A team led by Harvard University professor and quantum expert Mikhail Lukin has achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing.
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Recently Featured Articles

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Science Highlights

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Dept. of Energy Office of Science delivers scientific discoveries, tools for the nation via programs in Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Basic Energy Sciences; Biological & Environmental Research; Fusion Energy Sciences; High Energy Physics; Nuclear Physics. Also supports Accelerator Research; Isotope Research; Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer; 5 national quantum centers; 2 energy innovation hubs. Stewards 10 DOE national labs. 100-plus Nobel Prizes, $8.1 billion budget.

The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Image courtesy of the Department of Energy Office of Science