Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing

The SciDAC program was initiated in 2001 as a partnership involving all SC program offices - Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High-Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics - to fully realize the potential of emerging petascale computers at that time for advancing scientific discovery. Researchers have achieved key scientific insights in a number of areas of National importance, yet many challenges of multi-scale, multi-disciplinary problems now facing science programs in DOE require advanced modeling and simulation capabilities on petascale computers. A second challenge is driven by the need for capture, storage, transmission, sharing and analysis of large- scale experimental and observational data, as well as data from simulations.

In September, the Office of Science announced approximately $60 million in new awards annually for 30 computational science projects over the next three to five years.  The projects are aimed at accelerating research in designing new materials, developing future energy sources, studying global climate change, improving environmental cleanup methods and understanding physics from the tiniest particles to the massive explosions of supernovae.