Community Resources

Program Summaries

The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Program Summary Books containing abstracts of BES research projects over the past 50 years as part of a public repository of historical documents of interest to energy researchers.


Brochures

The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) informational brochures provide an overview of BES research areas, scientific user facilities, and the relevance of the research work to practical applications.


Reports

Reports sponsored by BES or jointly with other Office of Science programs address the current status and possible future directions for BES scientific research and enabling infrastructure, including BES user facilities. These reports include those resulting from the “Basic Research Needs” workshops, roundtables, and charges to the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. They also include reports on enabling capabilities that inform, or are informed by, BES research and infrastructure planning.


Accomplishments

The descriptions of accomplishments resulting from BES-supported basic research represent the broad range of studies supported in the BES program. The large collection of accounts portrays the discovery of new knowledge, the rapidity with which such new knowledge can often be incorporated into other scientific disciplines and into the commercial sector, and the great potential of basic research for future impacts on energy production and use.


Presentations

Selected presentations given by BES management at various meetings are provided to further communication and dissemination of information important to our mission.


BES and Congress

Congress established the Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program through the authorization legislation that created and promulgated the mission of the program. Congressional Committees with responsibilities that include BES pass annual appropriation laws that provide funding and guidance for the program's activities.


Science for Energy Flow

American science is entering a new era of discovery with powerful tools for imaging, modeling, understanding, and manipulating matter on atomic and molecular scales. Empowered by capabilities unthinkable a few decades ago, researchers are unveiling scientific breakthroughs enabling a new generation of materials that can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and catalyze the transition to clean energy technologies.

Seeing Matter at Atomic and Molecular Scales

Studying matter at the level of atoms and molecules requires measuring structures that are billionths of a meter (nanometers) or less in size. This nanoscale realm is where the fundamental properties of materials are established. Melting temperature, magnetic properties, charge capacity, and even color are dictated by the arrangements of atoms and molecules. The ability to understand, design, and control these properties will lead to a new world of materials and technologies for numerous application areas.

Nano for Energy

Studying matter at the level of atoms and molecules requires measuring structures that are billionths of a meter (nanometers) or less in size. This nanoscale realm is where the fundamental properties of materials are established. Melting temperature, magnetic properties, charge capacity, and even color are dictated by the arrangements of atoms and molecules. The ability to understand, design, and control these properties will lead to a new world of materials and technologies for numerous application areas.

Scale of Things Chart

Scientists study ultrasmall matter through nanotechnology—the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. The "Scale of Things" chart provides a comparison of natural and manmade objects ranging from millimeters to a nanometer.