The SC mission is to deliver scientific discoveries and major scientific tools to transform our understanding of nature and advance the energy, economic and national security of the United States.
SC is the Nation’s largest Federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and the
lead Federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for our Nation’s energy future.
SC accomplishes its mission and advances national goals by supporting:
• The frontiers of science—exploring nature’s mysteries from the study of fundamental subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules that are the building blocks of the materials of our universe and everything in it to the DNA, proteins, and cells that are the building blocks of life.
Each of the programs in SC supports research probing the most fundamental disciplinary questions.
• The 21st Century tools of science—providing the nation’s researchers with 27 state-of-the-art national scientific user facilities - the most advanced tools of modern science - propelling the U. S. to the forefront of science, technology development and deployment through innovation.
• Science for energy and the environment―paving the knowledge foundation to spur discoveries and innovations for advancing the Department’s mission in energy and environment.
SC supports a wide range of funding modalities from single principal investigators to large team-based activities to engage in fundamental research on energy production, conversion, storage, transmission, and use, and on our understanding of the earth systems.