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 Strong is Strong?
Pierre Chatagnon, a Jefferson Lab postdoctoral fellow and experimental physicist, takes his love for nuclear physics to the national lab stage.
A bird’s-Eye View of Energy Storage
Argonne-hosted conference paints a comprehensive picture of the state of storage, bringing the future path into sharper focus.
Custom Software Speeds Up, Stabilizes High-Profile Ocean Model
A new solver algorithm reduces the total run time of the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Ocean (MPAS-Ocean), E3SM’s ocean circulation model, by 45%
Biofuels and Carbon Crops Take Flight
Research at Berkeley and Sandia Laboratories identified performance, economic, and environmental tradeoffs involved in turning plants into jet fuel.

University and Stakeholder News

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Scientists Observe Composite Superstructure Growth from Nanocrystals in Real Time
Scientists and engineers have observed in real time how two types of nanoparticles made from different materials combine into new composite materials.
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Congratulations to Brady Eckert, Drexel's 2023 DOE SCGSR Recipient
Eckert, a PhD candidate, is a part of the nEXO collaboration which is designing a next-generation enriched xenon time projection chamber.
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Marine Biologists Are Learning More About Microbes in the Sea, Viruses Being the Most Prevalent.....
A team unraveled the entire genome of a certain marine protist that may act as a host for many viruses, setting the stage for future investigations.
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Physicists Trap Electrons in a 3D Crystal for the First Time
MIT physicists have trapped electrons in a pure crystal, marking the first achievement of an electronic flat band in a three-dimensional material.
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Recently Featured Articles

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Science Highlights

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