Strategic Theme 3
Scientific Discovery and Innovation
Strengthening U.S. scientific discovery, economic competitiveness,
and improving quality of life through innovations in science and technology
The United States has always been a Nation of innovators and the Department of Energy has been
a major contributor to that legacy. DOE-supported basic research has produced Nobel Laureates,
numerous paradigm-shifting scientific discoveries, and revolutionary technologies that have spawned
entirely new industries. Such breakthroughs have created fundamentally new energy options,
underpinned U.S. national security during challenging times, and contributed to the health of our
citizenry and the stewardship of our Nation’s environmental resources. This great engine of U.S.
innovation has played an important role in fueling a strong economy and one of the highest standards
of living the world has ever known.
As we look toward the future, we are entering a new era that is characterized by increasingly rapid
changes in the pace of discovery and innovation. These changes present both opportunities and
challenges, requiring a new U.S. commitment to science and to innovative approaches for accelerating
the realization of benefits from our research enterprise.
In February 2006, the President announced the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) to encourage
American innovation and strengthen our Nation’s ability to compete in the global economy. The
Department has a core responsibility under ACI to cultivate the U.S. scientific base in a way that
enables our Nation to compete and win in the global marketplace of ideas and commerce. More
specifically, ACI directs the Department of Energy to:
- Increase financial support for innovation-enabling research to support high-leverage fields of
physical science and engineering.
- Increase investments in the U.S. scientific infrastructure, particularly at the Department’s
scientific user facilities, to ensure the U.S. an order of magnitude dominance in key
scientific fields that will transform the 21st Century global economy: e.g., biotechnology, nanotechnology,
materials science, high-speed computing, and climate change research.
- Improve the capacity, maintenance, and operations of DOE laboratories through new investments
and continued pursuit of best practices.
- Provide mentored experiences for K-12 teachers at National Laboratories that will transform
teachers of science into "teacher scientists" who can encourage and inspire the next
generation of scientists and engineers.
- Provide training opportunities at the Department’s National Laboratories as a way to increase
the skills and knowledge of the Nation’s scientific and technical workforce.
Accordingly, over the next six years, the Department will pursue innovations in science and
technology to help ensure that it meets its national science strategic goals.
Scientific Discovery and Innovation Challenges
The U.S. must remain vigilant as other Nations invest heavily in science and
technology in an attempt to match our economic productivity and compete with U.S. industry.
America’s investment in the physical sciences, which many consider to be the cornerstone of
the Nation’s scientific enterprise, must be strengthened to capture the promise of emerging
scientific disciplines that will define the technological progress over the next 100 years.
The Nation’s incremental changes in technology are not sufficient to maintain the world leadership
in industry and academia. The scale and complexity of science and global challenges require
multidisciplinary and multinational responses. The Nation’s scientific workforce and science
literacy must be grown to prepare citizens to compete for jobs and increase overall economic
productivity. The following strategic goals address these scientific discovery
and innovation challenges.
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Scientific Discovery and Innovation Strategic Goals
Goal 3.1 – Scientific Breakthroughs
Achieve the major scientific discoveries that will drive U.S. competitiveness; inspire America;
and revolutionize approaches to the Nation’s energy, national security, and environmental quality
challenges.
Description: The Department has made science-driven innovation a top priority because of a
growing awareness of shifts in the energy structure. Also the pace of technological progress must
be accelerated to solve critical national challenges. Revolutionary breakthroughs are required
and DOE will lead a renaissance in scientific discovery that will rekindle the American spirit
and provide the base of new knowledge and the resulting new options and solutions to these seemingly
intractable challenges. The Department cannot rely on incremental changes in technology which cannot, in a
timely way, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil; dramatically decrease
energy use increase production, or solve long-term environmental challenges such as
climate change.
Strategies to reach this goal
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Goal 3.2 – Foundations of Science
Deliver the scientific facilities, train the next generation of scientists and engineers, and
provide the laboratory capabilities and infrastructure required for U.S. scientific primacy.
Description: The foundations of great science are the people, the powerful scientific
instruments, and the laboratories that provide important venues for multi-disciplinary collaboration.
The Department serves a critical role within the U.S. science enterprise as managers of the largest
system of National Laboratories and major scientific user facilities. Tens of thousands of
researchers depend on these facilities and this support forms a core element of the innovative
engine that drives the U.S. economy. Many of the world’s leading scientists are employed at DOE
National Laboratories and annual DOE research grants support the work of
scientists, engineers, and technicians at more than 300 universities. In addition, the Department
constructs and operates the largest and most advanced set of scientific facilities in the world.
These facilities are open to the science community on a competitive basis. The 19,000 scientists who work at these facilities conduct
some of the most complex and innovative research being performed today. Skillful management and
prudent investment strategies are needed to ensure that the laboratories are staffed and equipped with
the necessary resources to support the Department’s mission. DOE will ensure that scientific facilities are
operated efficiently and effectively and that students are given every opportunity to learn and grow as future
scientists, technicians, and engineers.
Strategies to reach this goal
- Complete construction and begin operation of major scientific user facilities
- Improve the operations of the National Laboratory system using a collaborative approach.
- Increase the operating efficiency and safety of the National Laboratories and scientific
user facilities, guided by a ten-year site planning process.
- Develop an approach by working with other Federal agencies to recruit the next generation
of leaders in science, technology, and engineering.
- Better communicate the importance of science and technology to inspire participation in the
innovation economy.
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Goal 3.3 – Research Integration
Integrate basic and applied research to accelerate innovation and to create transformational
solutions for energy and other U.S. needs.
Description: The Department of Energy manages a mission-driven portfolio of research that spans
from the most basic research exploring the origins of the cosmos, to applied research designed to
solve emerging challenges in energy, environment, and national security. The scale and complexity
of this research portfolio provides an enormous competitive advantage to the Nation as
multidisciplinary teams of scientists, using the most advanced scientific instruments in existence
today, are able to respond quickly to national priorities and changes in opportunities at the
frontiers of science. As just one example, the Department mobilized enormous resources during the
past few years to reclaim world leadership in high-performance computing at a time when other
countries had all but taken over this strategically important capability that is vital to long-term U.S.
scientific leadership and U.S. competitiveness. This agility in responding to challenges and
opportunities is increasingly characterized by DOE'S ability to achieve meaningful integration
between the basic and applied research communities. The Department's ability to expand on this tradition will
only strengthen its competitiveness and our ability to rapidly convert the fruits of science into
the revolutionary technologies that will change forever how we provide for life’s most basic
needs—whether it be to light the night, heat a home, transport food, cure an illness, or to
understand the beginning of time itself.
Strategies to reach this goal
- Strengthen the ties between the basic research and applied mission programs in Departmental
planning.
- Ensure continuous cooperation and information flow between basic and applied research
efforts through integrated research management and initiatives.
- Develop strategic partnerships with other Federal research agencies and the public and
private sectors to leverage the combined intellectual capital and science resources to solve
the Nation’s challenges in energy, environment, and national security.
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External Factors
The following external factors could affect the Department’s ability to achieve the Scientific Discovery and Innovation theme:
Other nations are rapidly expanding their own science and technology capacity,
which increases competition for resources (particularly human resources) and reduces the
attractiveness of the United States as an innovation leader.
Policies implemented for national security reasons may
affect the free exchange of scientific and technical information or access to U.S. facilities by
visiting scientists.
Perhaps the greatest danger is our inability to attract top notch
scientific talent due to social constraints (security concerns) and/or a poorly performing economy
that encourages scientific talent to work elsewhere.
One of the great strengths of the U.S. science and technology
(S&T) system is the close interaction between the scientific community and Federal agencies,
which leads to appropriate policy and funding decisions.
:
Advisory Committees
remain a cornerstone of our process for
evaluating future scientific opportunities and needs while retaining their independence. At
the same time, Federal S&T agency leaders must retain the ability to make independent
decisions as significant opportunities arise or national circumstances demand.
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