7.3: Partnerships
Strengthen national laboratory, university, and industry partnerships to work on the science challenges facing our Nation. Other Information:
The Office of Science manages 10 DOE national laboratories, home to many of the premier scientists and facilities the United
States has to offer, and makes direct investments in over 280 universities located across the Nation through research grants
and other activities. We also work with high-technology companies, such as General Motors and Cray, to explore advanced technologies
and solutions that quickly find their way into the marketplace. As one of the few organizations in the world that manages
such a diverse portfolio of research performers, the Office of Science has a unique opportunity to bring the power of these
research teams to work at the extreme frontiers of science. Researchers at the national laboratories will benefit from these
partnerships through increased access to scientific talent and capabilities that are only found in universities, while universities
will benefit through greater training opportunities for students, access to scientific tools unavailable at universities,
and participation in multidisciplinary teams of researchers. Industry, increasingly, is seeing the benefit of tapping into
the Federal government’s deep reservoir of scientific resources to maintain U.S. economic competitiveness. In addition, the
Office of Science works closely with other Federal agencies and major DOE applied research programs to fully leverage the
Federal investment in science. We work with the National Institutes of Health to develop new medical technologies; with NASA
to explore the cosmos; with the National Science Foundation on fundamental physics, advanced computation, and nanoscience;
and with other DOE programs to develop new energy options and solutions. Overall, key scientific disciplines will be strengthened
through this interchange of people and ideas. We recognize that the very nature of science and the exchange of ideas within
the scientific community benefits greatly from open communications and collaborations. In the future, it will be necessary
to preserve and protect the openness and strength of our scientific institutions, while at the same time exercising greater
control of the free dissemination of scientific information that has important national security implications. This delicate
balance will be developed carefully and in consultation with the science community to ensure that a “do no harm” philosophy
is followed. Our strategy includes the following emphases: • Encourage the creation of partnerships among national laboratory,
university, and industrial researchers to tackle major multidisciplinary scientific challenges, such as development of new
materials through nanoscience and high-end computational simulation. • Expand access and operating time at key scientific
user facilities to enable national partnerships that address significant national challenges. • Strengthen relationships with
minority institutions to increase the diversity of science and performers available within the U.S. scientific enterprise.
• Establish high-speed information connections among teams of researchers located at diverse locations, while improving remote
access to scientific user facilities. • Strengthen ties between our science programs and DOE-led national initiatives in nuclear
energy, hydrogen fuel, bio-based fuels, climate change, carbon management, and nonproliferation through sustained, coordinated
programs. • Foster cooperation among Federal science agencies to enhance the impact and benefit of our jointly held assets,
particularly in emerging areas of national need, such as advanced computation, nanoscience, climate change, and genomics.
• Build international partnerships where national resources can achieve global benefits and gain leverage from participation
of collaborating nations. • Participate in the development of national policies for the sharing of scientific and technical
information, achieving a careful balance between the need for scientific openness and security interests.
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