Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Office of Scientific and Technical Information's (OSTI) Energy Science and Technology Software Center (ESTSC)?
• What kinds of scientific and technical software are available?
• What types of software should be submitted to OSTI/ESTSC?
• What reviews are performed on scientific and technical software announced for purchase?
• How are orders handled?
• How do I pay for software packages ordered from ESTSC?
• How can I contact ESTSC?

What is OSTI's Energy Science and Technology Software Center (ESTSC)?

OSTI, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, serves as the Department's central announcement mechanism for DOE-sponsored software. It also serves as the Department's software management facility for the collection, licensing, and distribution of federally funded software that is developed by national laboratories and other DOE facilities/contractors (subject to the exceptions listed in paragraph 3.1). OSTI uses the services of the Energy Science and Technology Software Center (ESTSC) for unclassified software distribution. OSTI serves as the Department's exclusive availability point, other than the copyright holder (or its licensees), for DOE and DOE-contractor originated software for which copyright has been asserted. In a decentralized environment, the originating site may choose to retain the software, but must provide form, DOE F 241.4 to OSTI for announcement according to DOE O 241.1A.
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What kinds of software are available?

The collection includes a variety of scientific and technical software to run on personal computers, workstations, mainframes, and supercomputers. Many packages are designed to run in several environments, using different machines and operating systems. Software is available on CD-ROM or diskettes along with supporting documentation. An online searchable catalog is available at www.osti.gov/estsc.
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What types of software should be submitted to OSTI/ESTSC?

Organizations and individuals who have developed and/or modified software during work supported by DOE or during work carried out for others at DOE facilities should announce the software with the appropriate announcement record to OSTI (per DOE O 241.1A), if the software meets the following criteria:

• the software meets the definition of STI as defined in Part I, Section 4 of this Guide;
• the software is known or expected to have broad usefulness within or outside the DOE community (i.e., is useful outside the originating site); and
• a stable, useable, documented version of the software exists (i.e., the software is not under development).

Exclusions. Software that meets the above criteria need not be announced to OSTI if it falls under one of the following exclusions:

• operational systems software that is site-specific, unique to a particular hardware, or necessary to ensure the fundamental operability of automated data processing equipment, whether supplied by the manufacturer of the system hardware or others; and whether or not proprietary, which is not covered under a commercialization or copyright release request;
• computer software programs developed and/or modified during work carried out for others at DOE facilities specifically excluded in the agreement under which the non-DOE funded work was performed;
• software generated under the auspices of the Energy Information Administration; and
• specific software used by power administrations for the operation, control, planning, and modeling of electric power transmission systems and the interconnected utilities; however, modification/enhancements to portions of this software that are not an integral part of the whole and have potential application outside the power administrations should be announced

What reviews are performed?

Department of Energy scientific and technical software packages available from the Center are available on an "AS IS" basis. These packages have been checked for completeness to ensure that all the necessary pieces of the package are included and that media are machine-readable. The data also have been examined for copyrighted or controlled information. Minimal technical support is provided.
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How are orders handled?

Orders are received by telephone (865-576-2606), fax (865-576-6436), E-mail: (estsc@osti.gov), or written request addressed to the Energy Science and Technology Software Center, P.O. Box 1020, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831-1020.

Under normal circumstances, the Center will begin to process the order for software the day it is received if payment and site license agreement are in order. In the event that forms are not in order, the ESTSC will contact the requester. No further action will be taken until all required information and/or payment is received.

The software package is normally disseminated within three to five working days after the order has been fully processed and is normally delivered by first class U.S. mail. If requested, your account will be charged for other delivery methods chosen.
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How do I pay?

Full payment and a license agreement for the software ordered must be received by the Center before an order is processed. Payment must be made to the Center in U.S. currency using financial instruments drawn on U.S. banks. The Center also accepts, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, PrivateIssue, and Bravo.
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How can I contact ESTSC?

Contact ESTSC by telephone: (865-576-2606), fax: (865-576-6436), or E-mail: (estsc@osti.gov).

For regular U.S. mail send to:
Energy Science and Technology Software Center
P.O. Box 1020
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-1020

For Overnight Shipment, send to:
Energy Science and Technology Software Center
1 Science.gov Way
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
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