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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Rubin Observatory Will Inspire a New Era in Space Missions Without Ever Leaving the Ground
The observatory’s detailed, big-picture view of our Solar System and ability to quickly detect & track moving objects provides a gold mine of data.
Marvel Moviegoers Come for the Action and Stay for the Science
Experts from Argonne and Fermilab celebrate the science behind “The Marvels” with a movie screening and panel discussion.
CyberShake Study Uses Summit Supercomputer to Investigate Earthquake Hazards
The team’s goal is to reduce uncertainties in current earthquake-hazard estimates as large earthquakes’ evolution is more difficult to study.
Deciphering Dynamics of Electric Charge
Research led by Oak Ridge Lab has pioneered a groundbreaking approach toward understanding the behavior of an electric charge at the microscopic level

University and Stakeholder News

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With Just a Little Electricity, MIT Researchers Boost Common Catalytic Reactions
Applying a small voltage to a catalyst can increase the rates of reactions used in petrochemical processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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Department of Energy ‘Earthshot’ Grants Fund UIC Research on Green Tech Advances
The research will develop new materials for carbon capture and hydrogen transportation and new processes for the cleaner production of steel.
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A Spartan Changing the Way We Fight Cancer
Assistant Professor Carolina de Aguiar Ferreira has the resources to precisely target cancer cells with diagnostics and therapies using radioisotopes.
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'Sudden Death' of Quantum Fluctuations Defies Current Theories of Superconductivity
Physicists discovered a change in quantum behavior while experimenting with a three-atom-thin insulator that can be switched into a superconductor.
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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