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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Ames National Laboratory Partners with NETL and Other DOE Labs to Launch a New Critical Materials Research Facility
Ames National Laboratory will partner with eight other DOE National Laboratories to support the Critical Materials Supply Chain Research Facility.
João Barata Awarded CERN Fellowship
Barata, a physicist in the Nuclear Theory Group at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, has received a fellowship at CERN.
Scientists Pioneer Autonomous Robotic Method for Studying Liquids Suspended in Air
Scientists have developed a new system for X-ray experiments that will allow them to quickly & easily analyze the structure of liquids w/o a container
Powered by Math, Generative AI Requires New Knowledge for Safe Use
Users should interpret the limitations of AI tools – a subset of internet data - and protect themselves when using them.

University and Stakeholder News

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Nothing is Everything: How Hidden Emptiness Can Define the Usefulness of Filtration Materials
A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign emphasizes the importance of nanoscale empty space in everyday materials.
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Single Photons Go for Gold
Columbia University student Emanuil Yanev talks about his PhD work modifying 2D materials to push their light-producing limits.
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From Earth to Mars: Transporting Spin Information at the Speed of Light
Scientists transfer electron spin to photons, a quantum tech advancement that could offer rapid communication over interplanetary distances.
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Magnetic Avalanche Triggered by Quantum Effects
Researchers showed that Barkhausen noise can be produced not only through traditional, or classical means, but through quantum mechanical effects.
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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