Fifteen years ago was the genesis of DOE R&D Accomplishments [3].  It was established with the purpose of featuring U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and predecessor agency past research accomplishments whose benefits are being realized now.  As the individual responsible for the growth and development of this Web product, the journey has been challenging, fun, exciting, and thought-provoking -- but never boring.

DOE R&D Accomplishments has over 100 feature pages with topics ranging from tiny atoms [4] to the Big Bang [5] and supernovae [6]; from Archaea [7] (the third branch of life) to RTG [8]s (great to have if you’re a spacecraft), from a video game [9] to a PET [10], from photosynthesis [11] to superconductivity [12], and much much more.

Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Medicine/Physiology are also recognized at DOE R&D Accomplishments.  There are feature pages for over 90 of them and the number continues to grow.  Each year in October, the question addressed is “Are any of the newly-announced Nobel Laureates associated with DOE or any of it predecessors?”  Sometimes finding the answer to this question is like searching for a needle in a haystack.  Other times, information is easily found.  However, it is interesting to explore and find pertinent facts and tidbits about each of these newly-announced Laureates.

The same process is followed for each and every feature page (whether about a scientist or a research topic) in order to pull together related documents, biographical information and/or other items of interest.  Those items selected for inclusion are then incorporated into the feature page. 

Below are additional noteworthy accomplishments of the Department of Energy and its predecessors:  the Atomic Energy Commission and the Energy Research and Development Administration.

      Eightfold Way [13]      Ultra Violet Waterworks [14]      Seaborg [15]          

Feynman Diagrams [16]      Fermi [17]      the Buckyball [18]      DNA [19]      carbon dating [20]       

'jumping genes' [21]      Manhattan Project [22]      magic numbers [23] 

More details on the evolution of DOE R&D Accomplishments can be found at DOE R&D Accomplishments:  A 15 Year History of Growth and Development [24].  My experience with DOE R&D Accomplishments during the past fifteen years has been very rewarding and I hope that you find the results interesting and informative. 

Mary Schorn