The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) organization was
formed in June 1977. The origins of the federal research programs that became BES,
however, are rooted in the Nation’s research efforts to win World War II. The goals of
the
early U.S. science programs that evolved into BES were to explore fundamental phenomena, create scientific knowledge, and provide unique user facilities necessary for conducting basic research. In this sense, the BES program predates the establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1946.
The archives of BES budget requests
and program summary books
reflect the rich history of the BES program, which includes the
following organizational changes. |
August
2003. The Office
of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) was reorganized into three
Divisions instead of two. The scientific user facility functions
formerly in the Division of Materials
Sciences and Engineering were moved to a new organizational unit within BES, the
Division of
Scientific User Facilities.
December 1999.
BES was reorganized into two
Divisions instead of four. The Division of Materials
Sciences and Engineering included the former Division of Materials
Sciences and the Engineering activity within the former Division of Engineering and
Geosciences. The Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences,
and Biosciences included the former Division of Chemical Sciences, the
Geosciences activity of the former Division of Engineering and Geosciences, and the former
Division of Energy Biosciences.
October 1998.
The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 1999 (Public Law 105-245, Sec. 309, October 7, 1998) changed the name of the Office of Energy Research
(ER) to the Office of Science (more information).
November 1995.
The DOE Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
(EPSCoR) was transferred to BES with the passage of the FY 1996 Energy and
Water Development Appropriations. The DOE EPSCoR program was
originally established within ER's University and Science Education
program by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, Public Law
102-486, Title XXII, Sec. 2203(b)(3). DOE EPSCoR funding started
in FY 1991.
May 1995.
The newly formed Computational and Technology Research (CTR) program
combined several activities previously located elsewhere in ER.
These included Laboratory Technology Research; Mathematical,
Information, and Computational Sciences (MICS); and the Advanced
Energy Projects (AEP) Division of BES, which also included management
of the DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. MICS
had formerly been managed outside of BES by the ER Office of Scientific
Computing. The above changes were reflected in the FY 1997 Budget Request. The AEP research activities were ramped down
during FY 1998 - FY 1999 and were terminated in FY 2000; the CTR program was
renamed the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program in FY
2000.
1987.
The Biological Energy Research Division was renamed the Energy
Biosciences Division.
1984.
The Engineering, Mathematical, and Geosciences subprogram was
reorganized into the Engineering and
Geosciences subprogram and the Applied Mathematical Sciences (AMS)
subprogram. Organizationally, the AMS subprogram was managed by
the ER Scientific Computing Staff until the ER Office of Scientific
Computing was established in 1994.
1982.
The DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was created by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-219),
July 22, 1982. On October 12, 1982, Secretary of Energy James B.
Edwards
assigned the management of DOE SBIR to ER, and the program was managed independently within the BES organization.
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program was formed
by Congress when it reauthorized SBIR in 1992, and the joint SBIR/STTR
program for the Department of Energy is now managed in the Office of
Science.
October 1, 1977.
The Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) became part of the Department of Energy
(DOE) as a result of the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977
(Public
Law 95-91, August 4, 1977; 42
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.). As part of the formation of DOE, BES and
other programs became part of the newly formed Office of Energy
Research.
June 1977.
The ERDA Division of Physical
Research was reorganized into two divisions: High Energy and Nuclear
Physics (HENP) and Basic Energy Sciences.* The
three BES subprograms underwent the following additions and modifications:
• The Advanced
Energy Projects Division was initiated in BES. This change was
reflected in the FY 1978 Budget Request. |
• The Biological Energy Research
Division also became a newly organized activity within BES derived from the
transfer of projects from the Assistant Secretary for Environment that
were more related to the production and conservation of energy than to solving environmental
problems. This change was reflected in the FY 1979 Budget Request. |
• Research that was previously supported under the
Molecular,
Mathematical, and Geosciences subprogram was reorganized into two new
activities: Chemical Sciences and Engineering,
Mathematical, and Geosciences. This reorganization initiated the
Engineering Research activity. This change was reflected in the FY
1979 Budget Request. |
1976.
The FY 1977 Budget Request (released in February 1976) introduced Basic Energy Sciences
research activities. The formation of BES was a response to the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974,
which provided specifically for energy research in non-nuclear areas.
The BES name was also used (e.g., Volume 2, pages 365–379) in ERDA's FY 1976 R&D plan, A National
Plan for Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration: Creating Energy Choices for the Future
(April 15, 1976),
PDF, 573 pages, 31.1 MB, which responded to an annual Congressional requirement
of the Federal Nonnuclear Act of 1974.
The BES program contained three
subprograms that were in the ERDA Division of Physical Research: 1) Materials Sciences;
2) Molecular,
Mathematical, and Geosciences; and 3) Nuclear Sciences. The Nuclear Sciences
subprogram was dissolved in 1986 and its research activities were
transferred to other organizations with the DOE Office of Energy
Research. This change was reflected
in the FY 1988 Budget Request |
October 11,
1974. The Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) became part of ERDA as
a result of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Public
Law 93-438, October 11, 1974; 42
U.S.C. 5801 et seq.). The AEC research activities that became
Basic Energy Sciences were originally in the Division of Research.
In December 1971, the Division of Research was redesignated
the AEC Division of Physical Research to help distinguish it from an expanding program
in biological,
health, and medical research.
|
*The first Director of
the Basic
Energy Sciences (BES) program was
James S. Kane, who also served as the Acting Director for HENP.
There have been five permanent Directors and four Acting Directors for BES: |
Harriet Kung
(June 9, 2008 to present); Eric A. Rohlfing,
Acting (March 25, 2008 to June 8, 2008); Harriet Kung,
Acting (Nov. 11, 2007 to March 24, 2008); Patricia M. Dehmer (Nov. 15, 1995 to
Nov. 10, 2007); Iran L. Thomas, Acting (Oct. 1, 1993 to Nov 14, 1995); Louis C. Ianniello, Acting (March 1991 - Sep. 30, 1993); Donald K. Stevens (1986 to March 1991); Richard H. Kropschot (1982 to 1985); James S. Kane
(1977 to 1981). |
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