Department of Energy Science for the Future Act

Department of Energy Science for the Future Act

This bill supports specified research and development activities of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science.

The bill establishes various programs, including

• a basic energy sciences research and development program;
• a program of research and development for the application of advanced computing practices to foundational and emerging research problems in chemistry and materials science;
• a web-based platform to develop and provide access to a database of computed information on known and predicted materials properties and computational tools to accelerate breakthroughs in materials discovery and design;
• a biological systems science and climate and environmental science research and development program;
• research and development activities in biomolecular characterization and imaging science;
• earth and environmental systems science research;
• a coastal zone research initiative;
• an initiative focused on the development of engineered ecosystems;
• a program to implement a strategy for achieving computing systems with capabilities beyond exascale computing systems;
• a program of fundamental research and development of energy efficient computing and data center technologies relevant to advanced computing applications;
• a Quantum User Expansion for Science and Technology program or QUEST program;
• a collaborative research and development program of fusion energy technologies;
• a research program in elementary particle physics and advanced technology research and development to improve the understanding of the fundamental properties of the universe, including constituents of matter and energy and the nature of space and time;
• research activities on the nature of the primary contents of the universe, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter;
• a research program to discover and understand various forms of nuclear matter;
• a program across the DOE for the production of isotopes, including the development of techniques to produce isotopes, that the DOE determines are needed for research, medical, industrial, or related purposes;
• a midscale instrumentation program to enable the development and acquisition of novel, state-of-the-art instruments ranging in cost from $1 million to $20 million each that would significantly accelerate scientific breakthroughs at user facilities; and
• a high intensity laser research initiative.

The DOE Office of Science shall continue to leverage U.S. participation in the Large Hadron Collider and prioritize expanding international partnerships and investments in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.

DOE shall support construction of a Facility for Rare Isotope Beams to advance the understanding of rare nuclear isotopes and the evolution of the cosmos.

DOE shall expand opportunities to increase the number, diversity, equity, and inclusion of highly skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals working in DOE mission-relevant disciplines and broaden the recruitment pool to increase diversity, including expanded partnerships with Historically Black Colleges, Tribal Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, emerging research institutions, and scientific societies.

DOE shall establish within the DOE Office of Science, a cross-cutting research initiative to leverage the federal government's innovative analytical resources and tools, user facilities, and advanced computational and networking capabilities in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

DOE may not carry out gain-of-function research of concern.