January 24, 2000

Follow-up Audit of Program Administration by the Office of Science

The Office of Science (SC), formerly known as the Office of Energy Research (ER), is responsible for approving and managing research projects funded at the Department’s national laboratories. The laboratories submit field proposals for research projects to the SC for funding consideration. The proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by SC program managers, with support from a peer review process. The program managers approve the tasks and provide work authorizations and other funding guidance to the laboratories after specific projects have been selected. In FY 1999, SC provided $1.7 billion to the laboratories for research projects.