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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New Study Finds Dinosaur Feathers Contain Traces of Ancient Proteins
Powerful X-rays generated at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory help researchers shed new light on feather evolution.
Shh! Quiet Cables Set to Help Reveal Rare Physics Events
Ultra-low radiation cables reduce background noise for neutrino and dark matter detectors.
ORNL’s Smoky Mountains Conference Returns to In-Person in 2023
SMC23 took place in downtown Knoxville, TN from August 29–31 and boasted nearly 200 attendees.
PNNL Researchers Using AI to Aid Disaster Response and Recovery
Researchers developed a software tool which uses various overhead imagery to gather up-to-date information about vegetation and landscape conditions.

University and Stakeholder News

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U.S. Department of Energy renews Midwest Integrated Center for Computational Materials
The renewal reaffirms center’s vital role in driving breakthroughs in materials design and discovery.
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Department of Energy Grant will Fund EECS Professor Lu's Research into Improving Federated Machine Learning
Xiaoyi Lu is leading a collaboration that secured a $4.35 million grant from DOE to improve federated machine learning systems.
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Penn State Professor to Lead Field Campaign to Study Climate in Baltimore Area
Kenneth Davis will spearhead the DOE-funded project to investigate influence of surface-atmosphere interactions.
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Plant Biology Discovery is ‘Like a Switch Between Life and Death’
Michigan State University researchers reveal a biological pathway that could be targeted to breed more resilient crops.
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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, $7.5 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