Office of the Director

Dr. Raymond L. Orbach and his management staff lead the Office of Science, an organization that is the third largest Federal sponsor of basic research in the United States and is viewed as one of the premier science organizations in the world.

The Office of Science, formerly the Office of Energy Research, is the division within the U.S. Department of Energy that leads the Nation in supporting and conducting basic research in the physical sciences and makes significant contributions in other major scientific fields, including advanced computing/mathematics, and life sciences. The basic knowledge derived from this fundamental research has been the foundation for developing new energy sources, making best use of current energy resources, and mitigating waste resulting from energy production and use.

The Office of Science is committed to remaining at the forefront of basic research as it has been for half a century-a span that encompasses scientific discoveries that helped win a World War, pushed the boundaries of scientific computing to change the way modern science is conducted, and spurred the biotechnology revolution by performing the first research for the Human Genome Program. Its research goals for the next half-century are just as significant and are well underway in yielding solutions for the world's current energy problems as well as providing technologies for security against today's increasingly sophisticated national threats.