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3.1.4 Applied Mathematical Sciences

The Applied Mathematical Sciences subprogram consists of two parts: energy science advanced computation and supercomputing research. The energy science advanced computation subprogram will provide large scale scientific computing required by high energy and nuclear physics, basic energy sciences, and biological and environmental research. This scientific computing will be provided through network access to supercomputers. The supercomputing research subprogram supports research in mathematical and computer science that is critical to the use by many DOE programs of the newly emerging multiprocessor supercomputer systems and the long range development of future supercomputer systems.

3.1.5 Engineering Research and Geosciences

The objectives of the Engineering Research activity are (1) to extend the body of knowledge underlying current engineering practice, and (2) to provide a broader base of knowledge and insight for solving future engineering problems in the energy technologies. Particular emphasis is on mechanical sciences, systems science and engineering analysis.

The objective of the Geosciences activity is to develop a quantitative, predictive understanding of the energy related aspects of geological, geophysical and geochemical processes.

DOE's continental scientific drilling activity has attracted substantial interest nationally and internationally (where major continental scientific drilling efforts are already underway). The portions dealing with thermal regimes are appropriate for support by the Department of Energy.

3.1.6 Advanced Energy Projects

The objectives of Advanced Energy Projects are (1) to evaluate the feasibility of novel, energy related concepts that are at too early a stage of scientific definition to qualify for support by technology programs, and (2) to provide a mechanism to permit exploratory research on concepts that do not fit easily into the existing DOE program structure. This program fills an important previous gap in DOE programs and provides a significant means for stimulating applied innovation.

3.1.7 Biological Energy Research

The objective of the Biological Energy Research subprogram is to develop new information about microbiological and plant sciences that supports DOE's effort to improve biomass production of fuels and chemicals and the transformation of organic and biological materials for energy conversion, storage and use.

3.2 KEY ISSUES

The key issues for the Basic Energy Sciences programs are as follows:

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The energy-related research supported by BES is appropriately broad. However, the studies, undertaken by the National Academy of Sciences and other groups, have indicated many new opportunities for research in the chemical and materials sciences. In addition, other BES programs that have not yet received aggressive support have also been recommended as areas with real potential for energy applications, e.g. the geological sciences, engineering sciences and biological sciences.

The growing role of BES for support of large facilities with widespread scientific opportunities will broaden BES' mission to include the support of fundamental under-standing in several areas of the physical and life sciences. Two issues to be resolved are: (a) the balance of support between its energy-related research mission and its necessary role in fundamental research, and (b) the need to establish priorities among disparate facilities serving different parts of the scientific community.

Construction and operation of proposed major facilities poses a significant management and budgetary challenge to the BES program. In recent years, facilities operation has taken an increasing share of the BES budget at the expense of research support (see Table III). The proposed facilities could change this share considerably. Further, the accelerator-based facilities will compete with other fields for accelerator physicists and engineers necessary to design these machines.

EVALUATION OF R&D STRATEGIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

The current strategy for the Basic Energy Sciences programs involves five aspects. The Basic Energy Sciences programs are designed to:

Seek

the scientific and industrial communities' assistance for the identification of needs and opportunities for research in areas likely to be relevant to future energy options;

Promote early applications of the results of basic research;

Provide critical knowledge and data, and develop trained scientific talent through support of highly competent scientists in DOE mission areas;

Provide for and support operation of unique specialized research facilities; and

Maintain liaison with other DOE programs, federal agencies, and the scientific academic and industrial communities.

To be effective in this strategy, the BES program must maintain a strong core program-this involves supporting, equipping and encouraging the scientists involved in current DOE activities as well as the training of new, younger scientists to expand the forefront of knowledge in areas likely to be important to future energy technologies. The program must balance the need for continuing direct support to scientists and support of

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existing unique facilities now important to some researcher needs in the United States while at the same time providing for the need of new facilities and their operation. Finally, new programs must be developed in order to exploit new, emerging areas of science that have been identified as having great potential importance for energy technology.

In general, the BES program currently configured within the Department of Energy recognizes and adheres to this strategy. Within the last seven to eight years they have created the Engineering and Geosciences programs, the Biological Energy programs, and the Applied Mathematical Sciences programs. The Advanced Energy Projects activity supports exploratory development of basic concepts where the link between basic research and technology development is still very primitive and requires the involvement of both basic researchers and engineers in developing a technology concept at its very earliest stages. The ability of the BES program as a whole to implement its strategy is only limited by the imagination and responsiveness of its own staff to the recommendations of the scientific and technical community.

3.4

GUIDELINES FOR FUTURE DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The recommendations of the Research Panel for the Basic Energy Sciences programs fall into two major areas: (1) the character and balance of the research supported with the operating funds allotted to the program, and (2) the need for major facilities in the near and long term and the consequences for the research supported by the Basic Energy Sciences program. In both areas, these recommendations should be incorporated within a long-range strategic planning process undertaken by the entire Department.

3.4.1 Areas of Research

In general, individual BES program managers have elicited the advice of the scientific community including industry. This should be continued. However, the program does need to obtain continuing advice and evaluation on the balance of the program as a whole that provides an integrated perspective across the disciplines. A Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee should be established to make recommendations to the Director, Office of Energy Research, with respect to scientific opportunities and priorities as well as future facilities within the framework of DOE's primary objectives. The Committee should have an active role in the planning process for the BES programs. The composition of the Committee should reflect the mix of performers in the BES programs-universities, industry, and national laboratories. As part of its activities, the Committee should review the exploratory research activities carried out by the energy technology development programs in order to help assure the relevance and coordination of BES programs with these programs.

Coordination with Energy Technology Programs. The Supply Panel and the Demand Panel have made several specific recommendations for areas of basic research critical for the achievement of long-range goals in the energy technology development programs. In some instances, they have expressed a preference for these activities to be sponsored by the BES programs because its history of stable, long-term funding for basic research is

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more supportive for the performers of the basic research in materials, chemistry, and geosciences. Such activities would be consistent with the recommendations of the Research Panel as discussed below.

Materials Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Nuclear Sciences. These sub-programs were established by the Atomic Energy Commission to support the development of nuclear power reactors. Since that time, the emphasis of these programs has been shifted to include other energy technologies and resources. These programs should be subject to on-going review to ensure continuing relevance to the broad Departmental missions.

These long-standing programs continue to sponsor research of great importance to virtually all areas of energy technology. As mentioned earlier, energy-related opportunities for research in materials and chemical sciences have been identified by the National Research Council Further, the Supply and Demand Panels have made recommendations for basic research in structural materials and coal structure and chemistry to be pursued in BES programs. These recommendations would require both expansion and extensions of the current research programs in these BES programs.

In addition to the important role that improved structural materials can play in improving technologies for energy production and energy efficiency, advances in electronic materials and the performance of materials at surfaces and interfaces may also lead to new technologies for processes, diagnostic instrumentation, and control. In turn, these can lead to more effective and efficient individual energy technologies or new approaches to larger energy systems. Basic improvements and innovation in materials synthesis and processing may occur due to basic studies of phenomena such as nucleation, transport across interfaces, sintering kinetics, and the rheology of composite materials.

Recently, the chemistry community has taken a close look at the basic research opportunities in the chemical sciences. This study finds that in proportion to its contribution to other sciences and to the economy, chemistry is the most underfunded of the natural sciences in the federal budget. Certainly the current fossil-based energy economy and most foreseeable environmental and efficiency improvements will rely on improved chemical processing of known fossil resources. Fundamental advances in combustion chemistry, catalysis, and biochemical processes can be the basis for these improved technologies. Thus, there is a very strong case for the BES program to expand activities in the chemical sciences.

The Nuclear Sciences program operates unique facilities for isotope production of transuranium elements. In the future, the program will pursue recommended research using these isotopes at the frontiers of nuclear chemistry and also for the investigation of the production and properties of new superheavy elements. The program should continue to support the use of insertion devices at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, which is an important user facility for materials and chemical sciences in the VUV and x-ray regions of the spectra.

The basic research supported by these programs provides central, long-range support for the Department's energy mission. Over the long term, the Research Panel recommends that these programs can justifiably be expanded on the basis of high priority for DOE's missions and the major role that federal support plays in basic research

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support. This recommendation is made with full recognition that its other recommendations support expansions of other BES programs as well as the scientific community's priorities for major facilities. Certainly near term budget constraints may affect the timing with which these recommendations can be implemented but the long-term strategy recommended for the Department by the report as a whole places sustained, moderate growth for the BES programs as a high priority.

3.4.2 Other Basic Energy Sciences Programs

Of the programs recently organized within Basic Energy Sciences, three seem especially important: 1) Geosciences Program, 2) Applied Mathematical Sciences and Supercomputer Research, and 3) Engineering Research.

The Geosciences program deals with subjects of great interest to the DOE mission, inasmuch as the bulk of the nation's energy supplies have come, do come, and will continue for decades to come from solid earth resources. Nuclear waste disposal, enhanced oil and gas recovery, more effective understanding of hydrocarbon reservoirs, geothermal exploration and production, in situ coal gasification, more effective drilling technologies, more secure monitoring of foreign nuclear explosions, and environmental management all depend critically upon improved understanding of the behavior of geological materials. In contrast to their significance in energy-related research, the geosciences are underfunded in the Basic Energy Sciences.

DOE has led the way in continental scientific drilling because of its interest in geothermal energy, and a national program involving the coordinated efforts of DOE, National Science Foundation and U.S. Geological Survey is now a reality. However, it is not adequately budgeted at the present time to do so, and there is a lamentable tendency to remove operational scientific drilling to other parts of DOE, resulting in serious liability to the program.

It is the opinion of the Panel and ERAB that the Geosciences subprogram should grow within Basic Energy Sciences if a program, balanced in terms of the mission of DOE, is to be developed.

DOE has had an important role to play in the development of advanced computer systems for scientific computation. Other agencies have supported the development of the underlying technology for high-speed computation but have not focused on the needs of scientific computing as opposed to the development of expert systems and high-speed data manipulation and recognition. This program needs to be broadened and strengthened beyond simply the very basic research that is being supported currently. The program should support integrated research with other DOE programs that look to the applications of advanced systems to scientific DOE program needs.

The Biological Energy Research subprogram is currently one of the strongest federal programs in fundamental plant science. Clearly the implications for such research extend far beyond energy, but the energy consequences are considerable and justify a program expanded beyond the present one.