Conferences play an important role in advancing the Department of Energy's (DOE) priorities by providing opportunities for collaboration with academia, the scientific community, and other stakeholders on our national security, environment, energy, and science missions. While conferences serve a valuable purpose, DOE continues to manage conference activity in a cost-effective manner that demonstrates responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

To ensure costs were appropriately controlled when sponsoring and approving participation in a conference, DOE confirmed that all conference activity supported the Department's mission, costs were authorized, and conference planners, Agency sponsors, and attendees understood their responsibility to conserve funds. The Department adhered to widely accepted cost control measures such as ensuring conference attendance was necessary, encouraging the use of Federal Facilities, consolidation of conferences, limitation of food and beverage, early planning, exploring the feasibility of conducting virtual and hybrid conferences, and adhering to government travel restrictions.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, seven (7) Program Offices within the Department hosted a total of nine (9) Agency-Sponsored reportable conferences. They reflect mission-related conference activity by the Department as it moves forward, closer to the important conference activity as reported in the pre-pandemic timeframe.