SC Statement of Commitment

The DOE Office of Science (SC) is fully and unconditionally committed to fostering safe, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work, research, and funding environments that value mutual respect and personal integrity. The SC mission is to deliver the scientific discoveries, capabilities, and major scientific tools to transform our understanding of nature and to advance U.S. energy, economic, and national security. SC is the largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences in the US; provides support to over 28,000 researchers at national laboratories, universities, and other institutions; and operates 28 national user facilities that serve over 36,000 researchers annually. SC is committed to advancing belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI) across the portfolio of activities we sponsor. SC’s effective stewardship and promotion of safe, accessible, diverse, and inclusive workplaces that value and celebrate the diversity of people, ideas, cultures, and educational backgrounds across the country and that foster a sense of belonging in our scientific community is foundational to delivering on our mission. We are committed to promoting people from all backgrounds, including individuals and communities that were historically underrepresented and minoritized in STEM fields and the activities we sponsor in recognition of our responsibility to serve the public. We also recognize that harnessing a broad range of views, expertise, and experiences drives scientific and technological innovation and enables the SC community to push the frontiers of scientific knowledge for U.S. prosperity and security.

Discrimination and harassment undermine SC’s ability to achieve its mission by reducing productivity, discouraging or inhibiting talent recruitment, retention, and career advancement, and weakening the integrity of the SC enterprise overall. SC does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, retaliation, or other disruptive behavior in the federal workplace, including DOE field site offices, national laboratories, scientific user facilities, academic institutions, other institutions receiving SC funding, virtual DOE environments, geographically isolated research sites, and other locations where activities funded by SC are carried out.

SC upholds DOE’s policies and procedures for the prevention of discrimination and harassment and works in collaboration with DOE’s Office of Civil Rights and Diversity (OCRD), which has primary responsibility within DOE for civil rights related compliance and enforcement activities codified in DOE’s implementing regulations1. Allegations of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should be reported immediately to the appropriate institutional officials in accordance with the institutional policies, federal statutes, and DOE policies as defined in DOE financial assistance awards, including grants and cooperative agreements, as well as DOE contracts. Individuals found to engage in discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in violation of the law or DOE regulations or policy will be subject to disciplinary action.

Beyond issues that may rise to the level of legal action, SC expects the scientific community, particularly those engaging in SC-sponsored activities, to always conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful, ethical, professional, and inclusive. SC reserves the right to take appropriate action at SC-hosted events should participants not adhere to these expectations for responsible workplace behavior. SC also strongly encourages recipient and partner institutions to adopt and implement their own codes of conduct.

This commitment to BAJEDI is part of SC’s continuous effort to identify opportunities to improve policies, programs, practices, and communications in furtherance of its core values and its mission.

Last updated October 1, 2022.

¹Title 10 in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 1040, 1041, and 1042