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 Does a River Breathe?
PNNL scientists are studying how rivers breathe to better understand the effects on the global carbon cycle.
Scientists Reveal Molecular Mysteries to Control Silica Scaling in Water Treatment
Scientists synthesized a series of nitrogen-containing polymers as silica antiscalants and discovered enormous differences in effectiveness.
Scientists Use Summit Supercomputer to Explore Exotic Stellar Phenomena
Astrophysicists used the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s Summit supercomputer to compare models of X-ray bursts in 2D and 3D.
Scientists Put Forth a Smarter Way to Protect a Smarter Grid
The model, known as hybrid attack graphs, is a mathematical approach that uses optimization and data from actual grid cyberattacks for training.

University and Stakeholder News

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Texas Tech Researcher Involved in Renewable-Energy Work
Texas Tech professor Carol Korzeniewski is part of the Department of Energy’s Energy Earthshots Initiative.
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Researchers Measure and Control Interactions Between Magnetic Ripples Using Lasers
UCLA researchers and partners caused two distinct types of magnons to interact so that output is not directly proportional to input.
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Surprise Physics in Insulating Material Offer Path for Faster Tech
Researchers observed interactions between the material’s electrons & underlying lattice structure, with X-ray pulses capturing “snapshots” of changes.
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Researchers From Startups, Government Labs, and Academia Develop New Techniques for Making Qubits Out of Erbium
Separate projects address different quantum technology challenges & highlight the versatility of a rare-earth metal used in lasers & to color glass.
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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