Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about
the Office of Science
Q: How do I apply for a grant from the
Office of Science?
A: Colleges and universities, non-profit
organizations, for-profit commercial organizations,
state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals
may submit grant applications in response to grant solicitation
notices. Grant solicitation notices are published in
the Federal
Register and on the Office
of Science website. The Office of Science also publishes
a Grant Application Guide on the website http://www.science.doe.gov/grants/guide.html.
Q: What kind of research does the Office
of Science support?
A: A detailed listing of the Office of
Science research programs, including contact information,
is available on the Office
of Science website. The main programs in the Office
of Science are: Advanced Scientific Computing Research
(Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences,
Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Networking) Basic
Energy Sciences (Materials Sciences and Engineering,
Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Energy Biosciences),
Biological and Environmental Research (Life Sciences
Research, Medical Applications and Measurement Sciences,
Environmental Remediation, and Climate Change Research
), Fusion Energy Sciences (Fusion Research, Plasma Physics,
Facilities and Enabling Technologies), High Energy Physics,
and Nuclear Physics.
Q: How does the Office of Science select
research projects?
A: Project managers review applications
for technical/scientific merit and program policy factors.
In addition, the project manager submits applications
generally to at least three qualified reviewers (peers)
for evaluation. New and renewal applications that are
complete are subjected to formal merit review and are
evaluated against the following criteria which are listed
in descending order of importance as set forth in 10
CFR Part 605:
1. Scientific and/or technical merit or
the educational benefits of the project;
2. Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach;
3. Competency of applicant's personnel and adequacy
of proposed resources;
4. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed
budget; and
5. Other appropriate factors, established and set forth
in a notice of availability or in a specific solicitation.
For renewal applications, the Office of
Science also shall consider the recipient's performance
under the existing award. Also, the Office of Science
shall consider, as part of the evaluation, other available
advice or information as well as program policy factors
such as ensuring an appropriate balance among the program
areas.
A complete Merit Review guide is
on the Office
of Science website.
Q: I am from a minority serving institution.
Are there any programs designed to reach groups that
are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering?
A: The Office of Science supports Faculty/student
research teams in paid summer internships working with
mentor scientists at Department of Energy, Office of
Science laboratories. This program is primarily designed
for teams of faculty members and two or three undergraduate
students from colleges and universities with limited
prior research capabilities, as well as institutions
serving women and minorities underrepresented in the
fields of science, engineering, and technology.
Q: I am a graduate student. How can
I learn more about research opportunities and grants?
A: The Office of Science supports more
than 4,000 graduate students through its grants to researchers
in Universities and Laboratories. If you are a research
assistant you may already be receiving support from
the Office of Science. In addition the Office of Science
offers a few targeted fellowships to graduate students
in key sub-fields including: Computational
Science, Computational
Molecular Biology/Bioinformatics, and Global
Change Research.
Q: I am a college student. How can I
learn more about research opportunities?”
A: The Office of Science sponsors special
training and research experiences for undergraduate
students at the DOE National Laboratories. The Science
Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program places
students in paid internships in Science and Engineering
at any of several Department of Energy facilities. Students
work with scientists or engineers on projects related
to the laboratories' research programs. More information
can be found on the Office of Science website http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/sci_ed.htm.
Q: I am a science teacher. How can I
learn more about research opportunities?”
A: The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator
Fellowship Program offers current public or private
elementary and secondary mathematics, technology, and
science classroom teachers an opportunity to serve in
the national public policy arena. Selected teachers
spend up to one year in a Congressional Office or a
federal agency. Albert Einstein Fellows bring to Congress
and appropriate branches of the federal government the
extensive knowledge and experience of classroom teachers.
More information can be found on the Office
of Science website.
Q: What other government agencies support
basic research?
A: The members of the National Science
and Technology Council, Committee on Science are: the
Department of Energy, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), National
Science Foundation (NSF), the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the
Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department
of Transportation, the Department
of Education, the Department
of Interior, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, the Department
of Labor, the Department
of State, and the Department
of Defense.
Q: I am more interested in applied Energy
research (e.g. solar, wind, or clean coal). Where do
I find that information?
A: The Department of Energy Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website
includes the Energy Information Portal - a gateway to
hundreds of Web sites and thousands of online documents
on energy efficiency and renewable energy – and
information on this Office and Program. The Department
of Energy Office of Fossil Energy supports R&D on
electric power, oil and gas and other fossil fuels such
as clean coal R&D. The Fossil
Energy website includes information on this office
and its R&D programs. The Department of Energy Office
of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology supports
R&D in nuclear power and related technologies.
Q: Where can I find energy statistics?
A: The Energy
Information Agency gathers, analyzes and publishes
a wide array of official energy statistics for the U.S.
Government.
Q: Where can I find science statistics?
A: There are several sources for
science statistics depending on the field of interest.
The National
Science Foundation gathers, analyzes and publishes
a wide array of official Science statistics for the
U.S. Government. The American
Association for the Advancement of Science also
publishes statistics on federal R&D spending. Another
good source for science information is the National
Academies of Science and the Congressional
Research Service The best sources for field specific
statistics are the field specific scientific societies
such as the American Physical
Society the American
Chemical Society and the American
Institute of Physics.
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