DOE - Office of Science

The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee has unanimously approved a strategic plan to guide the Department of Energy’s efforts in fusion energy and plasma physics research over the next decade.

FYI spoke with Department of Energy Office of Science Director Chris Fall about a range of issues bearing on the national lab system, including a new “Labs of the Future” thought exercise, pandemic recovery, diversity initiatives, and research security.

The Department of Energy has set up a single point of contact for gaining access to COVID-19 experts and research tools across its national laboratories. Chris Fall, director of the DOE Office of Science, described the goals of the new “virtual lab” in an interview with Physics Today.

The Department of Energy has selected Brookhaven National Laboratory as the site for its proposed Electron-Ion Collider, a flagship nuclear science facility that is estimated to cost between $1.6 billion and $2.6 billion.

The budget for the Department of Energy Office of Science is increasing 6% this year to an even $7 billion. The increase is spread across the office’s six programs, with Fusion Energy Sciences receiving a particularly large boost.

The House and Senate have both proposed spending increases for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. New and ongoing facilities and equipment projects are set to receive the budgets they need to progress apace, while emerging priorities such as quantum information science and high-performance computing are in line for funding boosts.

“So the bill was passed” reported the May 20 Congressional Record on the 217 to 205 vote of the House of Representatives on H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015. 

Funding parameters for the Department of Energy for FY 2016 are largely in place with the approval last Thursday of a $35.4 billion Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill.  This action follows passage of the counterpart bill by the House of Representatives on May 1. 

Tomorrow morning the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015.  Yesterday evening the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy on the bill, warning “If the President were presented with H.R. 1806, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.” 

Following the consideration of more than 60 amendments during three days last week, with one session lasting until 1:48 in the morning, the House of Representatives approved the FY 2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill on Friday.  The bill, H.R. 2028, passed on an almost entirely party-line vote of 240-177.