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10 Assessing the Value of Research at the Department of Energy: A Perspective from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences
Pages 97-106

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From page 97...
... Rather, the BES program supports fundamental research with a long-term objective. That this is not immediately seen as an oxymoron is testimony to the collective successes of the BES program and of other basic research programs that still exist within mission organizations.
From page 98...
... In the area of the chemical sciences the area addressed by this Chemical Sciences Roundtable workshop BES research programs include topics such as analytical chemistry; atomic, molecular, and optical science; batteries and fuel cells; chemical kinetics; combustion dynamics; electrochemistry; heavy element chemistry; homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; organometallic chemistry; photochemistry; photosynthetic mechanisms; separations science; solar energy conversion; and thermophysical properties. MISSION, GOALS, AND TENETS OF THE BES PROGRAM The first step in performance management is defining the goals of the organization.
From page 99...
... Peer review can include mail peer review; panels of experts assembled to review simultaneously a number of proposals in a given subject area; site reviews by visiting committees; and special reviews overseen, for example, by the federally chartered Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (BESAC) or by the National Research Council.
From page 100...
... A number of activities that might be considered essential or "foundation" performance measurement activities have long been in place in BES. These include peer review of research programs and customer surveys of the scientific user facilities.
From page 101...
... The formal peer-review process used by the BES program is that used by the Office of Energy Research for its extramural grant program; this process is summarized in 10 CFR 605. The BES program has adapted 10 CFR 605 so that it may also be applied to the research programs and the scientific user facilities in the DOE laboratory system.
From page 102...
... The program must also promote the transfer of the results of basic research to contribute to DOE missions in areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, improved use of fossil fuels, reduced environmental impacts of energy production and use, science-based stockpile stewardship, and future fusion energy sources. To bring about research relevance, BES sets strategic research directions through working relationships with other DOE programs; research workshops involving input from the scientific and technical communities; the promotion of open information transfer and exchange of ideas between the basic and applied research communities; and, finally, the sponsorship of selected high-impact research collaborations and partnerships.
From page 103...
... For example, BES serves as the nation's primary or sole supporter of a number of important subdisciplines such as heavy element chemistry, natural and artificial solar energy conversion, catalysis, organometallic chemistry, combustion-related science, separations science, neutron science, radiation chemistry, and radiation effects in materials. Maintaining these communities is an important responsibility of BES.
From page 104...
... for the $1.333 billion Spallation Neutron Source project proposed for construction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This project, which will produce a next-generation spallation neutron source for neutron scattering, had been recommended in the mid- 1980s as one of four major scientific user facilities needed for materials science and related disciplines.
From page 105...
... In managing this difficult challenge, the BES program also shoulders a strong stewardship responsibility for maintaining stable, essential research communities, institutions, and scientific user facilities that are needed for new and improved energy technologies. DISCUSSION Thomas A
From page 106...
... 106 ASSESSING THE VALUE OF RESEARCH IN THE CHEMICAL SCIENCES small but not insignificant. For example, this year we effectively had a 3 percent cut because of congressional direction.


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