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

Video Url
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

VIEW ALL
KC Cushman: Seeing the Forest and the Trees
Cushman, a fellow at ORNL, has been studying trees and forests in an effort to help humans care for them and improve the health of the planet.
Italy Native Finds New Home at Jefferson Lab
Raffaella De Vita works with staff & users on software development for simulation, reconstruction & analysis, and the CLAS12 high luminosity upgrade.
When Plants Flower: Scientists ID Genes, Mechanism in Sorghum
A new study points to genetic strategies for altering crop-plant flowering time to increase production of fuel-generating biomass.
Q&A with Brian Ingram, Director of the Center for Steel Electrification by Electrosynthesis
C-STEEL Director Brian Ingram discusses the success of the Center for Steel Electrification by Electrosynthesis and where it will lead the steel industry.

University and Stakeholder News

VIEW ALL
Researchers Prove Fundamental Limits of Electromagnetic Energy Absorption
Electrical engineers determined the theoretical fundamental limit for how much electromagnetic energy a material with a given thickness can absorb.
Learn more
Discovery of New Plant Protein Fold May Be Seed for Anti-Cancer Drugs
Researchers discovered a new plant biochemistry with an unusual ability to form cyclic peptides—molecules that can bind to challenging drug targets.
Learn more
ISU Physicist Helps Set the U.S. Priorities for Investing Millions in Particle Physics
As part of a panel of 32 physicists, Iowa State's Amanda Weinstein helped set the priorities for the country's particle physics research agenda.
Learn more
Harvesting Energy From CO2
A U.S. Department of Energy grant supports Boston College scientist Jier Huang's work toward a sunlight-powered catalyst.
Learn more

Recently Featured Articles

VIEW ALL

Science Highlights

VIEW ALL
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