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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Researchers Capture Strange Behavior of Laser-Excited Gold
Research could lead to a better understanding of how metals behave under extreme conditions, which will aid in development of more resilient materials
Methane Emissions From Wetlands Increase Significantly Over High Latitudes
Berkeley Lab scientists show decadal increases in wetland methane emissions in Arctic and Boreal ecosystems.
India Formally Begins Construction Phase for Contributions to Fermilab's New Particle Accelerator
India’s Department of Atomic Energy, or DAE, institutions now can start to construct the components that they will send to enable the PIP-II project.
First-Ever Atomic Freeze-Frame of Liquid Water
Scientists have isolated the movement of an electron while ​“freezing” the motion of the much larger atom it orbits in a sample of liquid water.

University and Stakeholder News

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Smooth Operation of Future Nuclear Fusion Facilities is a Matter of Control
Professor Eugenio Schuster, who directs the Lehigh University Plasma Control Group, received a grant for the development of advanced controls.
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Climate Change and Atmospheric Dynamics Unveil Future Weather Extremes
A collaborative team of researchers led by Michael Mann has uncovered key mechanisms behind 2021's Pacific Northwest ‘Heat Dome.’
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Cobalt-Free Batteries Could Power Cars of the Future
MIT chemists developed a battery cathode based on organic materials, which could reduce the EV industry’s reliance on scarce metals.
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Scientists See an Ultra-Fast Movement in an HIV-1 Surface Protein
Duke Postdoctoral researcher Ashley Bennett describes an HIV discovery they hope will bring a vaccine across the finish line.
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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