(a) Establishment
There shall be within the Department an Office of Science to be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall be compensated at the rate provided for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5.
(b) Duties and responsibilities of Director
It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Director—
(1) to advise the Secretary with respect to the physical research program transferred to the Department from the Energy Research and Development Administration;
(2) to monitor the Department's energy research and development programs in order to advise the Secretary with respect to any undesirable duplication or gaps in such programs;
(3) to advise the Secretary with respect to the well-being and management of the multipurpose laboratories under the jurisdiction of the Department, excluding laboratories that constitute part of the nuclear weapons complex;
(4) to advise the Secretary with respect to education and training activities required for effective short- and long-term basic and applied research activities of the Department;
(5) to advise the Secretary with respect to grants and other forms of financial assistance required for effective short- and long-term basic and applied research activities of the Department; and
(6) to carry out such additional duties assigned to the Office by the Secretary.
(c) Mission
The mission of the Office of Science shall be the delivery of scientific discoveries, capabilities, and major scientific tools to transform the understanding of nature and to advance the energy, economic, and national security of the United States.
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–246 added subsec. (c).
2005—Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 109–58 added par. (6) and struck out former par. (6) which read as follows: "to carry out such additional duties assigned to the Office by the Secretary relating to basic and applied research, including but not limited to supervision or support of research activities carried out by any of the Assistant Secretaries designated by section 7133 of this title, as the Secretary considers advantageous."
1998—Pub. L. 105–245 substituted "Office of Science" for "Office of Energy Research" in section catchline and in subsec. (a).