What do all these remarkable developments of the past 25 years share in common?

• DNA sequencing and computational technologies that made possible the historic unraveling of the human genetic code, our blueprint for life.
• A microelectronic chip implanted in the eye that enables the blind to see.
• Superconducting wires that can lead to more efficient types of power generation, transmission, and electrical devices—and thereby save energy and reduce emissions.
• New holographic computerized imaging technology that identifies hidden weapons, even non-metallic ones, through the clothing of airline passengers.
• Microbes that eat waste and can be harnessed to clean up contaminated sites.

All these breakthroughs—and many, many more—have been achieved through the research and development programs sponsored by the Office of Science since the U.S. Department of Energy was established as a Cabinet-level agency in 1977.

Indeed, ever since its inception as part of the Atomic Energy Commission immediately following World War II, the Office of Science has blended cutting-edge research and innovative problem-solving to keep the United States at the forefront of scientific discovery. In fact, since the mid-1940s, the Office of Science by one count has supported the work of more than 40 Nobel Prize winners, testimony to the high quality and impact of the work it underwrites.

I am very proud to serve President Bush and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman as the steward of such beautiful science. I welcome the opportunity to engage the genius of American science to help meet the energy challenges identified in the President's balanced and forward-looking National Energy Plan.

Today, the Office of Science funds basic research in support of the Energy Department's missions of energy security, national security, environmental restoration, and science. Research supported by the Office of Science encompasses such diverse fields as materials sciences, chemistry, high energy and nuclear physics, plasma science, biology, advanced computation, and environmental studies.

The Office of Science also oversees outstanding laboratories with unmatched capabilities for solving complex interdisciplinary problems. In addition, the Office of Science builds and operates large-scale user facilities of importance to all areas of science. The Office of Science serves America's scientists, engineers, teachers, and students—and also the international scientific community.

For more than half a century, every President and each Congress have recognized the vital role of science in sustaining this Nation's world-power status. Estimates are that fully half of the growth in the U.S. economy in the last 50 years was due to Federal funding of scientific and technological innovation. American taxpayers have received great value for their investment in the basic research sponsored by the Office of Science.

I invite you to learn more about our work by exploring our web site or contacting us directly. I also hope you will share my excitement that, as long as this Nation maintains its commitment to investment in scientific research, the Office of Science is poised for 25 more years of beautiful science—to benefit the United States of America and the world.

Dr. Raymond L. Orbach
Under Secretary for Science
U.S. Department of Energy

ray.orbach@science.doe.gov