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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Conduction-Cooled Accelerating Cavity Proves Feasible for Commercial Applications
An advanced particle accelerator component designed to operate with off-the-shelf cryogenic equipment has been successfully demonstrated.
NASA Uses ORNL Supercomputers to Plan Smooth Landing on Mars
Since 2019, a team of NASA scientists and partners have used NASA’s FUN3D software on DOE supercomputer simulations of a human-scale Mars lander.
Researchers at Fermilab Develop Electron Beam Accelerator to Sterilize Medical Equipment
Researchers are building a prototype electron beam accelerator, integrating four emerging accelerator technologies into a single accelerator system.
Scientists Discover Super Sensor for the Smallest Scales
A team that included researchers at ORNL used a new twist on an old method to detect materials at some of the smallest amounts yet recorded.

University and Stakeholder News

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UC San Diego is Part of DOE Grant to Establish Inertial Fusion Energy Hub
A multi-institutional team was awarded a grant to establish a national Inertial Fusion Energy hub, to address scientific and engineering challenges.
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Department of Energy Leaders Visit Campus, Share More About Research Partnerships
Leaders from the Department of Energy's Office of Science and National Laboratory Leadership Council visited UTEP on Feb. 13, 2024.
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Chemists Decipher Reaction Process That Could Improve Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
UCLA researchers have identified the key pathways to a complex sulfur reduction reaction that leads to energy loss and reduced battery life span.
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The Colossal Caverns for Fermilab's DUNE Experiment Have Been Fully Excavated
Final outfitting of the colossal caverns will begin soon and make way for the start of the installation of the DUNE detectors later this year.
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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