Department of Energy

The scale of the pandemic’s disruptions to the research enterprise are coming into focus, with recent surveys warning of significant project delays, outsized impacts on early career scientists, and costs to universities that are already running well into the tens of billions of dollars.

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has recommended detailed actions to spur “Industries of the Future,” meet national STEM workforce needs, and better leverage national labs within the U.S. research enterprise.

NASA and the Department of Energy are expanding their collaboration as part of a broader White House push to develop nuclear power systems for space applications. The initiative comes as NASA faces key decisions on what fuel sources and technology development paths to pursue.

House appropriators have advanced legislation that would provide billions of dollars in one-time “emergency” funding to DOE, citing a need to support economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The additional funds include $6.25 billion for research facilities and equipment projects within the DOE Office of Science.

The U.S.-based neutrino project LBNF/DUNE may reduce its initial planned capabilities as part of an effort to mitigate construction cost increases and shortfalls in contributions from international partners.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science has established the position of principal deputy director, which oversees a set of new offices focused on policy priorities such as crosscutting research, accelerator technology development, diversity and inclusion, and research security.