Research
The Fundamental & Computational Sciences Directorate is the steward for research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science's Offices of Biological and Environmental Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Fusion Energy Sciences and Nuclear Physics.
- Science initiatives strengthen and expand FCSD capabilities to meet the needs of our clients.
- FCSD staff are responsible for management of Office of Science programs at PNNL.
Divisions
The Fundamental & Computational Sciences Directorate is organized into four divisions.
- Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division
The Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division provides diverse scientific and policy issue capabilities needed to understand and mitigate the effects of the production and use of energy on the atmospheric environment. Areas of emphasis include: atmospheric chemistry, transport and diffusion, regional climate modeling, integrated assessment and policy analysis, and climate physics. For more information contact Charlette Geffen. - Chemical & Materials Sciences Division
The Chemical & Materials Sciences Division provides basic and applied research in the chemical and physical sciences, as well as nanoscience and nanotechnology. Key areas of focus include: condensed phase and interfacial chemical physics, oxide surface science, catalysis and chemical transformation, mass spectrometry and ionic processes, defects and corrosion in materials, photonic and molecularly organized nanostructural materials, and low temperature geochemical processes. For more information contact Bruce Garrett. - Biological Sciences Division
The Biological Sciences Division provides basic and applied research solutions to complex national problems. Areas of scientific emphasis and expertise include applied math, computational sciences, microbiology, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, surface chemistry, and spectroscopy. This division is establishing signature capabilities and scientific leadership in the fundamental study of specific biological systems aimed at clean energy, carbon sequestration, and environmental cleanup. For more information contact Harvey Bolton, Jr. - Computational Sciences & Mathematics Division
The continued exponential growth of computational power presents a constantly shifting set of opportunities as new areas of inquiry become technically feasible for the first time. With simulation now considered one of the foundations of modern research, along with experiment and theory, computational science has become a critical capability in nearly every science domain. For more information contact Moe Khaleel.
Initiatives
The Fundamental & Computational Sciences leads several major Pacific Northwest National Laboratory science and technology initiatives that involve investments of discretionary resources:
- The Aerosol Climate Initiative will address critical scientific questions related to the effects of aerosols on cloud properties—a major source of uncertainty in climate models—and the formation, aging, transport, and lifecycle of aerosols. In support of Department of Energy Office of Science missions, these advancements will accelerate the Laboratory's programs related to global climate change and the effects of energy use on the environment, and will enable more effective scientific investigations and policy decisions. For more information, contact Charlette Geffen.
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Biomolecular Systems Initiative
Established to meet the national science needs in the post-genome era, this initiative fosters innovative research and understanding of complex biological systems. For more information contact H. Steven Wiley. - The Catalysis Initiative leverages the Laboratory's historic strengths in catalysis and reaction engineering, interfacial chemical physics, and computational chemistry to create a DOE Collaborative Research Facility in Catalysis Science—the Institute for Interfacial Catalysis. The Initiative is building capabilities that enable single-site studies of chemical transformations, strengthening the Laboratory's abilities to integrate research in fundamental catalysis with applied energy mission research, and to encouraging joint stewardship of the Institute between the basic and applied missions areas of the Department of Energy.
- The Transformational Materials Science Initiative focuses on the synthesis and assembly of the multifunctional nanomaterials with well-controlled defect chemistry and architectures that can be used to control and optimize the transport and storage of charged species.
Programs
As an Office of Science multiprogram national laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory delivers breakthrough science and technology in support of the Department of Energy's mission areas. The Fundamental & Computational Sciences staff are responsible for management of Office of Science programs at PNNL including the following:
Fundamental & Computational Sciences capabilities also provide key expertise to the following federal agencies: