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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Spanish Dignitaries Receive Firsthand Look at Technologies for DUNE
The Spanish Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research, known as CIEMAT, is a key contributor to the international experiment.
AI Director Featured at White House Roundtable, Capitol Hill Briefings
Prasanna Balaprakash participated in White House OSTP and the Task Force on American Innovation events on challenges and opportunities posed by AI.
Fermilab’s Integrated Engineering Research Center Officially Open for Business
Researchers at DOE's Fermi National Accelerator Lab have a new, leading-edge building to advance high-energy physics projects & technology innovation.
In Novel Quantum Computer Design, Qubits Use Magnets to Selectively Communicate
Researchers have begun to use magnets to entangle qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers; the technique could unlock complex capabilities.

University and Stakeholder News

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Unlocking the Mysteries of Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) in Isolated Molecules
The study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of CISS and may have applications for quantum computing, energy generation, and lighting efficiency.
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Department of Energy’s ‘Earthshot’ Initiative Awards Case Western Reserve $1.1 Million to Help ‘Decarbonize’ Steel
A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University is part of a national effort to “reimagine” steel production.
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Yale Awarded Energy Earthshot to Study Natural Carbon Capture
Professor Pete Raymond is leading a DOE study that explores promising methods to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere & mitigate climate change.
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Researchers Identify Unexpected Twist While Developing New Polymer-Based Semiconductors
A new study led by chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign brings fresh insight into the development of semiconductor materials.
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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