Biological and Environmental Sciences Directorate

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Divisions

Scientists and engineers in the Biological and Environmental Sciences Directorate at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory perform research that is supported primarily by the Department of Energy's Office of Science through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The Directorate consists of two divisions, the Biosciences Division and the Environmental Sciences Division.

Biosciences Division

The objective of the Biosciences Division (BSD) is to advance science and technology in order to understand complex biological systems and their relationship with human health and the environment. The division has significant expertise and special facilities in Mammalian Genetics and Genomics, Computational Biology, Biophysics and Biomedical Technologies, and Toxicology and Risk Analysis. Its researchers combine their collective expertise with collaborators from other areas of ORNL and outside the laboratory to focus on scientific challenges in modern biology. The division continues a 50-year legacy of important discoveries in biology. Its programs are supported by a number of federal and non-federal agencies and institutions, such as the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and several industrial partners.

The division operates special research facilities, such as the Mouse Genetics Research Facility, the Joint Institute for Biological Sciences, the Center for Structural Molecular Biology, and the newly funded BioEnergy Science Center. The division also develops and maintains unique communication resources to promote the dissemination of information about such important scientific programs as the Human Genome Project.

Website
Contact: Martin Keller, Division Director, 865-574-5845

Environmental Sciences Division

The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) is an interdisciplinary research and development organization with more than 60 years of achievement in local, national, and international environmental research. Our vision is to expand scientific knowledge and develop innovative strategies and technologies that will strengthen the nation's leadership in creating solutions to help sustain the Earth’s natural resources. Scientists in ESD conduct research, develop technology, and perform analyses to understand and assess responses of environmental systems at the environment-human interface and the consequences of alternative energy and environmental strategies. We seek to understand how natural and anthropogenic factors (e.g., global and regional change, environmental stress, and energy production and use) interact to influence environmental systems and society. Our methods integrate field and laboratory methods with new theory, modeling, data systems, policy analysis, and evaluation to create solutions to complex environmental challenges.

ESD conducts research in six core research areas that frame their objectives in advancing environmental science, technology, and policy:

• Earth Sciences Understand fate and transport processes at multiple scales to allow extrapolation across domains of observation and prediction
• Ecological Management Create and apply effective methods to measure, assess, and manage ecosystems
• Environmental Data Science & Systems Provide data management and analysis for large, integrated environmental databases to the nation’s research community and policymakers
• Microbial Systems Biology Harness the capabilities of microbial systems by understanding interactions at genomic, physiological, organism, and community levels
• Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Develop methods and models, conduct analyses, and produce tools that address key issues at the intersection of science, technology, society, and policy
• Terrestrial Ecology Understand and predict the dynamic behavior of ecosystems at multiple scales (molecular to watersheds)

Website
Contact: Gary K. Jacobs, Division Director, 865-574-7374