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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Innovative MAGIS-100 Quantum Experiment at Fermilab Bolstered by Support from U.K.
Four institutions formalized their participation in the Matter-wave Atomic Gradiometer Interferometric Sensor experiment, under construction at Fermi.
Chloe Washabaugh Creates Designer Molecules for the Quantum Future
Q-NEXT collaborator and UChicago grad student Chloe Washabaugh creates high-performance qubits from designer molecules.
Brookhaven Lab Scientists Complete 2023 Oppenheimer Leadership Program
Emerging lab leaders connect on ways to improve the Department of Energy and national lab system.
Winners of 2023 'Distinguished Trailblazers in the Sciences' Announced
Middle and high school students nationwide were recognized as 2023 “Distinguished Trailblazers in the Sciences” during a virtual award ceremony.

University and Stakeholder News

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CSU to Lead DOE-Funded Multi-Institution Hub to Advance Laser-Driven Fusion Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that it will fund a newly established Inertial Fusion Science and Technology hub, known as RISE.
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UF Researcher Investigating 'Plant Diamond' as a Carbon Removal Powerhouse
The goal is to kickstart production of the spore’s outer shell, known as sporopollenin, to increase carbon stored in the plant roots.
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Spinning Up Control: Propeller Shape Helps Direct Nanoparticles, Researchers Say
The team redesigned the shape of the particles to a propeller, which can spin efficiently when triggered by a chemical reaction or magnetic field.
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New Dark Matter Theory Explains Two Puzzles in Astrophysics
A University of California, Riverside study reports that dark matter may be more vibrant than previously thought.
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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