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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Ben Lenard: Harnessing Supercomputers
Ben Lenard supports the lab’s Aurora exascale supercomputer, and manages databases in Argonne’s high performance computing systems.
No “One Ring to Rule Them All”: Different Microbial Traits Influence Soil Carbon Accrual from Living Versus Dead Roots
The microbial traits that shape mineral-associated soil carbon formation are not universal but vary in different soil microbial habitats.
Pioneering the Cellular Frontier
Brookhaven researchers explore a single cell using advanced X-ray imaging techniques.
Climate Model Approximations of Aerosol Sizes Lead to Inaccurate Cloud Droplet Nucleation
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory introduce new strategy for evaluating models of atmospheric aerosol particles.

University and Stakeholder News

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Electric Aviation: Batteries That Stay Strong for the Flight Duration
A team of scientists and engineers designed and tested an electrolyte that keeps battery power delivery high, cycle after cycle.
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A New Catalyst Can “Recycle” Carbon Dioxide Into Useful Chemicals
Scientists have announced a new tin-based catalysts that efficiently convert CO2 into useful chemicals including ethanol, acetic acid or formic acid.
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Particle Physics and Quantum Simulation Collide in New Proposal
Quantum simulations proposed to run on superconducting circuits might provide insight into the strong force and how collisions produce new particles.
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A Better Way to Make RNA Drugs
A new enzymatic synthesis method expands RNA therapeutic capabilities while eliminating toxic byproducts of standard chemical synthesis.
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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