Office of Science National Laboratories & Other STEM Labs

Together, the 17 DOE laboratories comprise a preeminent federal research system, providing the Nation with strategic scientific and technological capabilities. The laboratories:

  • Execute long-term government scientific and technological missions, often with complex security, safety, project management, or other operational challenges

  • Develop unique, often multidisciplinary, scientific capabilities beyond the scope of academic and industrial institutions, to benefit the Nation’s researchers and national strategic priorities

  • Develop and sustain critical scientific and technical capabilities to which the government requires assured access

  • The Office of Science is the steward of 10 of the 17 DOE laboratories; these 10 laboratories provide essential support to the missions of the SC science programs

  1. Ames Laboratory - Ames, Iowa - Learn More

  2. Argonne National Laboratory - Argonne, Illinois - Learn More

  3. Brookhaven National Laboratory - Upton, New York - Learn More

  4. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory - Batavia, Illinois - Learn More

  5. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Berkeley, California - Learn More

  6. Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Oak Ridge, Tennessee - Learn More

  7. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Richland, Washington - Learn More

  8. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory - Princeton, New Jersey - Learn More

  9. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory - Stanford, California -Learn More

  10. Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Newport News, Virginia - Learn More

1. The Official DOE National Laboratories Map

The Department of Energy maintains an interactive map of the 17 National Labs. These are the "crown jewels" of U.S. physics research.

2. NSF-Supported Facilities Map

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports physics on a different scale, often through Major Research Facilities located at universities or dedicated sites (like LIGO or various Observatories).

  • View it here: NSF Research Infrastructure Map

  • What it covers: Facilities like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and various telescopes.

3. The FFRDC Registry (The Complete List)

"Physics Laboratories partially supported by the U.S. Federal Government" technically includes Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). There are 42 of these in total.

Agency Notable Physics-Heavy FFRDCsLocationNASAJet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)Pasadena, CADODLincoln Laboratory (MIT)Lexington, MADODSoftware Engineering Institute (CMU)Pittsburgh, PANSFNational Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)Boulder, CO

Note: For a full list of these centers, the National Science Foundation maintains the master FFRDC Registry, though it is a list rather than a visual map.

4. University-Based Physics Centers

If you are looking for physics labs that are partially supported (via grants), you are looking at the EPSCoR maps or Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs). These are partnerships between the DOE and universities.

  • EFRC Map: DOE Office of Science EFRC Locations

    • This is the best map to see where federal physics money is flowing into specific university departments for materials science, chemistry, and photonics.

Quantum Information Science (QIS) is currently a top priority for the U.S. government. To accelerate this, the DOE and NSF have established a network of specialized "hubs" that pool resources from national labs, universities, and private industry.

The Five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers

Established by the National Quantum Initiative Act, these five centers are the primary federal hubs for quantum research. Each is led by a "anchor" National Lab but includes dozens of partner institutions.

Center NameLead LaboratoryPrimary Physics FocusQ-NEXTArgonne (IL)Quantum communications and "extreme" materials for sensing.C2QABrookhaven (NY)Building scalable quantum computers and software.SQMSFermilab (IL)Superconducting 3D cavities to increase qubit coherence.Quantum Science CenterOak Ridge (TN)Topological quantum computing and quantum fluids.QSALawrence Berkeley (CA)Quantum systems and hardware prototyping.

NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes (QLCIs)

While the DOE centers are often tied to massive hardware (like particle accelerators), the NSF QLCIs are university-led and focus on the fundamental physics and mathematics of quantum systems.

  • QLCI for Enhanced Sensing and Distribution (Univ. of Colorado Boulder): Focuses on using quantum physics to create ultra-precise sensors (atomic clocks, etc.).

  • QLCI for Present and Future Quantum Computing (UC Berkeley): Focuses on the "physics-to-software" interface and algorithm development.

  • QLCI for Hybrid Quantum Architectures (Univ. of Illinois): Researches how to link different types of quantum systems together.

Specialized Defense & Measurement Labs

Beyond the hubs mentioned above, two other federal entities are critical to the "physics" of quantum:

  • NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology): Based in Boulder, CO, and Gaithersburg, MD. They are the world leaders in ion-trap quantum computing and quantum metrology.

  • Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL): Their "Information Directorate" in Rome, NY, focuses on trapped-ion and photonics for secure military communications.

Key Geographic Clusters

If you are looking at a map, QIS research in the U.S. is heavily concentrated in four "corridors":

  1. The Chicago Quantum Exchange: Centered around Argonne and Fermilab.

  2. The Front Range (Colorado): Centered around NIST, JILA, and the University of Colorado Boulder.

  3. The Bay Area: Centered around Berkeley Lab and Stanford (SLAC).

  4. The Northeast: Centered around Brookhaven (NY) and MIT/Lincoln Lab (MA).