R&D Handbook: DOE Overview

Chapter 9. Department of Energy

Organization of environmental R & D within DOE: (internal links)

The Department of Energy (DOE) has a number of energy and defense related missions, grouped in four areas:

science and technology
national security
energy resources
environmental quality¹

"It is responsible for the nation's nuclear weapons capability. It has the four federal power marketing administrations, an energy information function, civilian nuclear waste responsibilities, and the strategic and naval petroleum reserves. Over the last several years, DOE has developed a major environmental component to clean up its weapons production and related facilities. Finally, DOE has a large research and development (R&D) component in both civilian and defense areas."

"The Department of Energy (DOE) has the U.S. government's largest laboratory system, consisting of 22 laboratories operated under contract with the private sector (corporations or universities) or by federal employees. These laboratories conduct research and development in DOE's four major mission areas: science and technology, national security, energy resources, and environmental quality."²

Overall, R&D activities supported by DOE are almost evenly split between basic research (~33%), applied research (~29%) and development (~37%)³.

Laboratories run by universities account for approximately half of DOE expenditures on research (~37% of R&D) and laboratories run by contractors are about 15% of both research and R&D. Universities receive about 9% of R&D funding, industry 15%, and about 12% is intramural³.

Although this report's definition of environmental R&D excludes energy conservation and alternative energy research unless it targets a specific pollution problem, DOE programs in those areas are presented briefly in this chapter.

References