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

Video Url
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

VIEW ALL
Four PPPL Researchers Featured in the Physics of Plasmas Early Career Collection
PPPL’s Ben Israeli, Stephen Majeski, Ian Ochs and Willca Villafana authored papers included in the 2023 Early Career Collection.
More Than Flying Cars: eVTOL Battery Analysis Reveals Unique Operating Demands
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are creating & evaluating new batteries for airborne electric vehicles that take off and land vertically.
Fermilab Researchers Receive DOE Funding to Advance Emerging Technologies for Future Industries
As part of its Accelerate Innovations program DOE is funding three emerging technologies projects involving researchers at Fermilab.
New AC Tech for Military Vehicles Could Revolutionize Cooling and Heating for All
A team will develop an AC option that is entirely safe for the environment, is more efficient than current vapor-cooling systems, and is not flammable

University and Stakeholder News

VIEW ALL
Study Reveals How Alcohol Makes Bacteria Sick
Research shows how isobutanol makes this bacterium sick, which could guide efforts to engineer strains that can produce valuable forms of alcohol.
Learn more
Cyclotron Institute Celebrates 60 Years Of Nuclear Science History
In 1964, Texas Gov. John B. Connally visited the campus to deliver the good news that a $6 million “atom smasher” would be built at Texas A&M.
Learn more
Study Finds Drought Fuels Invasive Species After Wildfires
University of California, Irvine biologists highlight critical link between drought, wildfires and coastal ecosystem transformations.
Learn more
Microbial Viruses Act as Secret Drivers of Climate Change
Researchers found that microbial viruses carry special genetic elements for controlling methane processes, called auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs).
Learn more

Recently Featured Articles

VIEW ALL

Science Highlights

VIEW ALL
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