DOE Proposes Boosts for Supercomputers, Cuts to Research

The Department of Energy is seeking $7.14 billion for the Office of Science in 2027, a 13% cut. The proposal is similar to the 14% cut the president requested last year and would reduce research funding across most science divisions, including deep cuts to Earth and environmental research.

The “skinny budget” request released by the White House states that it “eliminates funding for climate change and Green New Scam research while maintaining U.S. competitiveness in priority areas” including AI, quantum information science, and fusion energy. The department’s detailed request accordingly proposes a 54% cut to the Biological and Environmental Research Division, but also proposes cuts to computing research in the Office of Science. The request also recommends no funding for minority-serving institutions (MSIs) through the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce initiative, which it says is a “discriminatory DEI program.” This aligns with the president’s proposal to eliminate funds and programs dedicated to MSIs across the federal government.

Earth and environmental research

The proposed cut to Biological and Environmental Research is the deepest of the Office of Science divisions, both in raw dollars and as a percentage decrease from last year. The request would eliminate funding for atmospheric system research and environmental system sciences, aside from work supporting Earth and environmental systems modeling activities that are “aligned with administration priorities.” Modeling activities would receive a 76% cut, and the remaining activities would focus on “harnessing AI” and engaging with the Genesis Mission. The request says DOE would close the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility in fiscal year 2027 and end most Earth and Environmental Sciences Data Management activities.

AI and fusion

The request proposes smaller cuts to the Advanced Scientific Computing Research and Fusion Energy Sciences divisions, 1% and 6%, respectively. It also proposes funds for the Office of AI and Quantum and the Office of Fusion, both of which were created in late 2025. These new offices are separate from the Office of Science but will coordinate relevant activities across the department, according to the request.

Within ASCR, the request proposes cuts to both math and computing research. “The consolidation of several core research efforts allow for increased investments in HPC [high-performance computing], QIS [quantum information science], and AI,” the request adds. The request proposes increased funding for ASCR to partner with other Office of Science divisions and other parts of the department on “AI for science” initiatives, and for other testbed efforts working toward the American Science Cloud, the planned platform that will connect AI models, curated scientific data, workflows, and computing resources across DOE national laboratories. DOE has so far announced $40 million for AmSC.

For the Office of AI and Quantum, the request proposes $1.2 billion to support three new AI supercomputers at Oak Ridge and Argonne National Labs: Lux, Equinox, and Solstice. The labs announced last fall that Lux and Equinox would be deployed in 2026. The request states that the $1.2 billion will support facility operations and lab infrastructure upgrades related to the supercomputers, as well as “new efforts to promote the progression toward scientifically relevant quantum computation.” The funds are not included in DOE’s topline budget because they would be repurposed from hydrogen hub funds already appropriated by the Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. (DOE plans to wind down OCED as part of last year’s reorganization and transfer some of its elements to the new Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, according to an internal DOE email obtained by E&E News.)

The request also states that the AI and quantum office will coordinate DOE activities related to the Genesis Mission. Key components of the mission are currently led by ASCR acting head Hal Finkel and Basic Energy Sciences head Bindu Nair.

Fusion Energy Sciences is the only science division for which the request proposes an increase in research funding, at 7%. Most of this increase would go to research on closing the fuel cycle and to public-private partnerships. However, FES’s contributions to the multinational fusion research facility ITER would receive a 55% cut under the request, down to $77.5 million. The White House request states that ITER is “overbudget” and the request would “redirect savings to domestic fusion technologies that demonstrate performance.” DOE’s detailed request states that the department will “reassess” ITER’s role in the U.S. fusion strategy, and the U.S. ITER contribution in fiscal year 2027 “will continue design, fabrication, and delivery of the highest priority hardware contributions.” ITER announced in 2024 that it would not begin full operations until 2039, a four-year delay.

For the new Office of Fusion, the budget recommends $10 million for personnel, travel, and advisory and assistance. DOE has not announced any plans to move Office of Science programs to either of the new offices.

Other programs

Within the Office of Science divisions, Basic Energy Sciences would receive the second-largest proposed cut at 20%, followed by High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics at 9% each, while Isotope R&D and Production would receive a 1% cut. These cuts are largely concentrated in the research sections of these divisions, accompanied in many cases by smaller increases for project operations.

In March, DOE announced its intent to merge the HEP and NP divisions starting this summer, citing “synergy” between the divisions.

The request also proposes $75 million for a joint initiative on energy-water security between DOE and the National Science Foundation. NSF would provide an additional $100 million. The initiative would work to “reduce vulnerabilities where water-related issues threaten reliable energy production.”