3: Scientific Discovery and Innovation

Strengthening U.S. scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and improving quality of life through innovations in science and technology

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The United States has always been a Nation of innovators and the Department of Energy has been a major contributor to that legacy. DOE-supported basic research has produced Nobel Laureates, numerous paradigm-shifting scientific discoveries, and revolutionary technologies that have spawned entirely new industries. Such breakthroughs have created fundamentally new energy options, underpinned U.S. national security during challenging times, and contributed to the health of our citizenry and the stewardship of our Nation’s environmental resources. This great engine of U.S. innovation has played an important role in fueling a strong economy and one of the highest standards of living the world has ever known. As we look toward the future, we are entering a new era that is characterized by increasingly rapid changes in the pace of discovery and innovation. These changes present both opportunities and challenges, requiring a new U.S. commitment to science and to innovative approaches for accelerating the realization of benefits from our research enterprise. In February 2006, the President announced the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) to encourage American innovation and strengthen our Nation’s ability to compete in the global economy. The Department has a core responsibility under ACI to cultivate the U.S. scientific base in a way that enables our Nation to compete and win in the global marketplace of ideas and commerce. More specifically, ACI directs the Department of Energy to: Increase financial support for innovation-enabling research to support high-leverage fields of physical science and engineering. Increase investments in the U.S. scientific infrastructure, particularly at the Department’s scientific user facilities, to ensure the U.S. an order of magnitude dominance in key scientific fields that will transform the 21st Century global economy: e.g., biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials science, high-speed computing, and climate change research. Improve the capacity, maintenance, and operations of DOE laboratories through new investments and continued pursuit of best practices. Provide mentored experiences for K-12 teachers at National Laboratories that will transform teachers of science into "teacher scientists" who can encourage and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Provide training opportunities at the Department’s National Laboratories as a way to increase the skills and knowledge of the Nation’s scientific and technical workforce. Accordingly, over the next six years, the Department will pursue innovations in science and technology to help ensure that it meets its national science strategic goals. Scientific Discovery and Innovation Challenges -- The U.S. must remain vigilant as other Nations invest heavily in science and technology in an attempt to match our economic productivity and compete with U.S. industry. America’s investment in the physical sciences, which many consider to be the cornerstone of the Nation’s scientific enterprise, must be strengthened to capture the promise of emerging scientific disciplines that will define the technological progress over the next 100 years. The Nation’s incremental changes in technology are not sufficient to maintain the world leadership in industry and academia. The scale and complexity of science and global challenges require multidisciplinary and multinational responses. The Nation’s scientific workforce and science literacy must be grown to prepare citizens to compete for jobs and increase overall economic productivity.

Objective(s):

3.1: Scientific Breakthroughs

3.2: Foundations of Science

3.3: Research Integration

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