The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Program Summary Books containing abstracts of BES research projects over the past 50 years as part of a public repository of historical documents of interest to energy researchers.
The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) informational brochures provide an overview of BES research areas, scientific user facilities, and the relevance of the research work to practical applications.
BES-sponsored workshop reports address the current status and possible future directions of some important research areas of relevance to energy missions. These reports include those resulting from the “Basic Research Needs” Workshop Series that are used to help identify priority research directions for longer term energy planning.
The descriptions of accomplishments resulting from BES-supported basic research represent the broad range of studies supported in the BES program. The large collection of accounts portrays the discovery of new knowledge, the rapidity with which such new knowledge can often be incorporated into other scientific disciplines and into the commercial sector, and the great potential of basic research for future impacts on energy production and use.
Selected presentations given by BES management at various meetings are provided to further communication and dissemination of information important to our mission.
Congress established the Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program through the authorization legislation that created and promulgated the mission of the program. Congressional Committees with responsibilities that include BES pass annual appropriation laws that provide funding and guidance for the program's activities.
American science is entering a new era of discovery with powerful tools for imaging, modeling, understanding, and manipulating matter on atomic and molecular scales. Empowered by capabilities unthinkable a few decades ago, researchers are unveiling scientific breakthroughs enabling a new generation of materials that can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and catalyze the transition to clean energy technologies.
Scientists study ultrasmall matter through nanotechnology—the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. The "Scale of Things" chart provides a comparison of natural and manmade objects ranging from millimeters to a nanometer.