Federal Advisory Committees

The Committee provides valuable, independent advice to the Office of Science (SC) regarding complex scientific and technical issues influencing the planning, management, and implementation of research programs.

Charter and Composition

To conduct business, the Advisory Committee must have an approved active Charter. Charters require renewal every two years, and their purpose is to specify the committee’s mission or charge. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that the committee be “fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the functions represented and the functions to be performed,” and the SC Advisory Committee include representatives from universities, national laboratories, and industries involved in program-relevant scientific research.

The Under Secretary for Science (or designee) holds authority to nominate, appoint, renew, and or terminate any of the committee’s membership, with such authority delegated by the Secretary of Energy. A variety of factors are considered in formulating a Committee’s membership: primary among these is professional experience and qualifications; other factors include balance of representation across disciplines, institution types, regions, and demographics. Suggestions for membership to the Office of Science Federal Advisory Committee are welcome and may be submitted via at scac@science.doe.gov. The Office of Science regrets that it may not be possible to respond to each suggestion.

Committees of Visitors

The Director of the Office of Science will charge the committee to assemble special subcommittees, known as Committees of Visitors (COV), to assess the Office of Science program(s) on a regular basis. The COVs assess the efficacy and quality of the processes used to solicit, review, recommend, monitor, and document funding actions and to assess the quality of the resulting portfolio. The national and international standing of the programs’ sub-elements are part of the evaluation of the breadth and depth of the portfolio.

More information and an archive of COV reports is available here.

Notification and Frequency of Meetings

Public announcements of open, closed, or partially closed Advisory Committee meetings will appear in the Federal Register at least two weeks prior to the meeting date. The advisory committee web page will post meeting agendas, presentations, and minutes. The SC Advisory Committee typically meets two to three times per year. A Designated Federal Official (DFO) manages the committee.