Office of Science

Office of ScienceAgency overview

Agency executive|

* Harriet Kung, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director

Child agency|

* United States Department of Energy

Website| www.energy.gov/science/office-science

The Office of Science is a component of the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The Office of Science is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for energy and the Nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. The Office of Science portfolio has two principal thrusts: direct support of scientific research and direct support of the development, construction, and operation of unique, open-access scientific user facilities that are made available for use by external researchers.

The Office of Science manages this research portfolio through six interdisciplinary scientific program offices: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics. The Office of Science also has responsibility for 10 of the 17 United States Department of Energy National Laboratories.[1]

The office is the predominant U.S. federal government sponsor for research in the physical sciences, including physics, chemistry, computer science, applied mathematics, materials science, nanoscience, and engineering, as well as systems biology and environmental sciences. The Office of Science makes extensive use of peer review and federal advisory committees to develop general directions for research investments, to identify priorities, and to determine the very best scientific proposals to support.

The 10 Office of Science national laboratories are: Ames Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.[1]

The Office is currently led by Dr. Harriet Kung, Deputy Director for Science Programs and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director.[2]

## Program offices

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The Office of Science includes six interdisciplinary science program offices:

* Advanced Scientific Computing Research
* Basic Energy Sciences
* Biological and Environmental Research
* Fusion Energy Sciences
* High Energy Physics
* Nuclear Physics.[1]

### Advanced Scientific Computing Research

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The Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) supports research and development in applied mathematics, computer science, and integrated network environments. The programs it supports represent the largest and most active computer science research effort within the U.S. federal government.[3] Supercomputer facilities supported by ASCR include the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, and the Leadership Computing Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. The ASCR supports the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), which interconnects more than 40 DOE sites at speeds up to 100 gigabits per second.

ESnet is a successor to a network that the Office of Science created in 1974 to connect geographically dispersed researchers through a single network. In the 1980s the Office of Science collaborated with DARPA, NSF and NASA to convert the agencies' separate networks into a single integrated communications network that became the basis for the commercial Internet.[4]

### Biological and Environmental Research

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The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) supports research and scientific user facilities in the biological and environmental sciences to support DOE's missions in energy, environment, and basic research. BER initiated the Human Genome Project in 1986 and has continued to support activity in genomics-based systems biology and initiatives related to biotechnology applications.[5][6] The Joint Genome Institute, formed in 1997, initially conducted sequencing of human DNA in support of the Human Genome Project. Its current focus is on sequencing the genomes of microbes, microbial communities, fungi, plants, and other organisms.[7]

Environmental efforts include research on the global carbon cycle and possible mitigation of the impacts of climate change.[5][6] When it started in 1978, BER's Climate Change Research Program was the first U.S. research program to investigate the effects of greenhouse gases on climate and environment. The Office of Science climate change research program is now the third largest in the U.S.[4]

### Fusion Energy Sciences

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The Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) organization supports efforts to expand the fundamental understanding of plasma physics and the knowledge needed to develop a fusion energy source.[8] This organization supports U.S. participation in the ITER project through the U.S. ITER Project Office, a partnership of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.[9]

## Research funding

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More than 90 percent of the Office of Science budget is allocated to research and scientific facilities.[10] The fundamental research areas in which the Office of Science has programs include physics and other basic energy sciences, biological and environmental sciences, and computational science. Support is provided for research activities in the national laboratories and universities. The office is the principal (or the single largest) source of U.S. federal government support for research in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, fusion energy, materials science, and chemical sciences. The Office of Science is estimated to provide 40 percent of the funding for basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. It is also a major source of funding for government-supported research in climate change, geophysics, genomics, life sciences, and science education.[1]

In constant dollars, Office of Science annual budgets for Basic Energy Science and Advanced Scientific Computing nearly doubled between fiscal years 1996 and 2009. Budgets for High Energy Physics and Biological and Energy Research remained relatively constant through that 14-year period. Nuclear Physics and Fusion Energy Sciences budgets were relatively static through most of the period, but had substantial increases in fiscal 2009.[11] The increase in the Fusion budget reinstated the U.S. contribution to ITER, which was reduced significantly in the previous year.[10]

## History

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DOE's Office of Energy Research was a predecessor to the Office of Science.[12]

In 2006, the Office of Science was placed under the oversight of the Under Secretary of Energy for Science, a new position created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.[13]

### Accomplishments and awards

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DOE lists 76 Nobel Prize winners as having been associated with Office of Science programs or facilities under DOE and its predecessor agencies.[14]

## Organization

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The Office of Science is led by a Presidentially-nominated, Senate-confirmed Director and two senior career federal Deputy Directors.[2]

The Director role is currently vacant. The current deputy directors are Deputy Director for Science Programs Dr. Harriet Kung and Deputy Director for Field Operations Juston Fontaine. Both are a longtime Energy Department managers.[2]

## See also

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* Office of Scientific and Technical Information

## References

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1. ^ a b c d About the Office of Science, DOE Office of Science website. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
2. ^ a b c "Leadership". DoE Office of Science. Department of Energy. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
3. ^ About ASCR Archived 2010-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, Office of Science website. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
4. ^ a b Accomplishments and Awards, DOE Office of Science website. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
5. ^ a b Office of Biological & Environmental Research website. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
6. ^ a b About BER, Office of Biological & Environmental Research website. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
7. ^ Joint Genome Institute Archived 2010-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Office of Biological & Environmental Research website. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
8. ^ DOE Office of Science – Homepage. Science.doe.gov. Retrieved on 2010-12-15.
9. ^ DOE Office of Science OFES – Homepage. Science.doe.gov (2003-01-30). Retrieved on 2010-12-15.
10. ^ a b American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS R&D Funding Update on DOE R&D in FY 2009 Senate Appropriations – Senate Boosts DOE Science and Energy R&D Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved from AAAS Science and Policy Programs website on December 12, 2010
11. ^ American Association for the Advancement of Science, DOE Office of Science Programs, FY 1996–2009 Archived 2011-01-01 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved from AAAS Science and Policy Programs website on December 12, 2010
12. ^ United States Government Accountability Office (2008), Office of Science Has Kept Majority of Projects within Budget and on Schedule, but Funding and Other Challenges May Grow, GAO-08-641, page 1
13. ^ Secretary Bodman Statement on Dr. Orbach Swearing In as DOE Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy news release, June 1, 2006
14. ^ DOE Nobel Laureates Archived 2010-11-17 at the Wayback Machine, DOE Office of Science website. Retrieved December 7, 2010.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
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United States Department of Energy

* Headquarters: James V. Forrestal Building

* Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy
* Vacant, Deputy Secretary of Energy

Deputy Secretary of Energy|

* Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
* Energy Information Administration
* Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy

Under Secretary of Energy for Infrastructure|

Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, & Energy Response

Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security|

* National Nuclear Security Administration

Under Secretary of Energy for Science and Innovation|

* Office of Science
* OSTI
* Office of Electricity
* Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
* Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
* Office of Nuclear Energy

Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy|

Office of Nuclear Energy

Power Marketing Administration|

* Bonneville Power Administration
* Southeastern Power Administration
* Southwestern Power Administration
* Western Area Power Administration

National Laboratory System|

* Ames
* Argonne
* NBL
* CNM
* APS
* ATLAS
* EMC
* Berkeley
* ALS
* MF
* NCEM
* NERSC
* ESN
* JGI
* Brookhaven
* AGS
* CFN
* NSLS
* NSLS II
* RHIC
* Fermilab
* TeV
* Idaho
* RESL
* JLab
* Livermore
* NARAC
* NIF
* Los Alamos
* DARHTF
* NETL
* Albany
* NREL
* Oak Ridge
* SNS
* CNMS
* HFIR
* NCCS
* Pacific Northwest
* EMSL
* PPPL
* NSTX
* TFTR
* SRNL
* Sandia
* Z
* SLAC
* SSRL

Energy Department Facilities and Reservations|

* Fernald NLO
* Hanford
* K-25
* Kansas City Plant
* Nevada Test Site
* Area 19
* Area 20
* NHHOR
* Pantex
* Rocky Flats
* SSFL
* ETEC
* SRE
* SRS
* SPR
* WIPP
* Y-12
* Yucca Mountain

Related Independent Agency|

* Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

* v
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Federal research and development agencies of the United States (list)

Independent
agencies|

* National Science Foundation (NSF)
* National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
* Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development
* Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)
* Smithsonian Institution research centers and programs

Agriculture|

* Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
* National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
* Economic Research Service (ERS)
* United States Forest Service Research and Development (R&D)

Commerce|

* National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
* National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Defense|

| Army|

* Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDCOM)
* Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
* Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDCSC)
* CCDC Armaments Center (CCDCAC)
* Picatinny Arsenal
* Benét Laboratories
* Watervliet Arsenal
* Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC)
* United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC)
* Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

|

Marine Corps|

* Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC)
* Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL)
* Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity (MCOTEA)

Navy|

* Office of Naval Research (ONR)
* Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
* Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC)
* Naval Warfare Centers
* Air (NAWC)
* Surface (NSWC)
* Undersea (NUWC)
* Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance (NCCOSC)
* Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWS)
* Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)
* Operational Test and Evaluation Force (OPTEVFOR)

Air Force|

* Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
* Air Armament Center (AAC)
* Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
* Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC)
* Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (NWC)
* Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT)
* Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC)

Space Force|

* Space Systems Command (SSC)

Other|

* Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
* Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)

Education|

* Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
* National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)

Energy|

* Office of Science (DOE SC)
* Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E)
* National Laboratories

Health and
Human Services|

* National Institutes of Health (NIH)
* National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
* Food and Drug Administration science and research programs
* Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
* Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
* Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)
* Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)

Homeland Security|

* Science and Technology Directorate (S&T)
* Coast Guard Research and Development Center  (CG RDC)

Interior|

* United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Justice|

* National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
* FBI Science and Technology Branch

Transportation|

* Research and Innovative Technology Administration
* Federal Aviation Administration Research, Engineering, and Development
* Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology

Treasury|

* Office of Financial Research (OFR)

Veterans Affairs|

* Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development (ORD)

Executive Office
of the President|

* Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
* U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
* Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program (NITRD)
* National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)

Legislative branch|

* House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
* Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
* Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) (defunct)

Judicial branch|

* Federal Judicial Center

* v
* t
* e

United States government agencies involved in environmental science

* Environmental Protection Agency
* Global Change Research Program
* National Aeronautics and Space Administration
* National Science Foundation
* Smithsonian Institution

Department of the Interior|

* Bureau of Indian Affairs
* Bureau of Land Management
* Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
* Bureau of Reclamation
* National Park Service
* United States Fish and Wildlife Service
* United States Geological Survey
* Office of the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs
* Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement

Department of Commerce|

* National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
* Geodetic Survey
* Marine Fisheries Service
* Ocean Service
* Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
* UxSRTO
* Weather Service

Department of Energy|

* Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
* Office of Environmental Management
* Office of Science
* National Laboratories and Technology Centers

Department of Agriculture|

* Agricultural Research Service
* Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
* Farm Service Agency
* Food and Nutrition Service
* Foreign Agricultural Service
* Natural Resources Conservation Service (National Water and Climate Center)
* Rural Utilities Service
* Forest Service

Department of Homeland Security|

* Science and Technology Directorate
* United States Coast Guard

Department of Health
and Human Services|

* Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
* National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Department of Defense|

* Air Force Research Laboratory
* Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
* Joint Typhoon Warning Center
* Office of Naval Research
* Combat Capabilities Development Command

Executive Office of the President|

* Climate Policy Office
* Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation
* U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
* Council on Environmental Quality

Defunct|

* Environmental Science Services Administration
* United States Fish Commission
* United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
* White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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