Science for the 21st Century
Department of Energy,
Office of SciencePromote Discovery and Sustain the Excellence of the Nation’s Scientific Research Enterprise
The Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary source of Federal support for the physical sciences and provides the large-scale scientific user facilities that more than 19,000 researchers each year rely upon to conduct their cutting-edge research. In addition, we are the stewards of ten national laboratories with a long history of providing multi-disciplinary based scientific and technological solutions to the Nation’s most daunting challenges in science and energy. Peer review and merit evaluation guide our research investments, to ensure their excellence, relevance and performance. Scientific advisory committees provide advice and feedback from the research community. Committees of outside experts visit our programs to review procedures and progress. Large-scale construction projects are rigorously reviewed for their scientific merit as well as adherence to cost and schedule milestones.
All research supported by the Office of Science is submitted to peer reviewed journals and research information from across the Department is available online from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information. DOE is highly engaged in collaborative activities with other agencies and interagency working groups, issuing joint solicitations, managing joint programs and sharing research results and research management best practices. These capabilities and processes have led to an array of scientific accomplishments that have saved energy, advanced national security, cleaned and protected the environment, saved lives, explained nature’s mysteries and inspired generations. For example: the Department of Energy has:
- Initiated the Human Genome Project
- Launched the nanoscale revolution
- Ushered in and advanced the Atomic Age
- Discovered and elucidated many of the most fundamental particles and forces of nature
- Pioneered climate change and ecology research
- Produced and contained a star in a fusion tokamak
- Provided the reactors, accelerators, detectors microscopes, algorithms, networks, hardware and software that make modern science so extraordinary
- Formed the Washington Research Evaluation Network (WREN) to develop and share R&D evaluation tools and management best practices.
