Our LDRD program management continually strives to be more efficient. Therefore, I can attest that Argonne's program adhered closely to the requirements of DOE Order 413.2b and associated guidelines governing LDRD. Although I am new to the role of Laboratory Director, my immediate prior service as Deputy Laboratory Director for Programs afforded me continuous involvement in the LDRD program and its management. During times of change, LDRD becomes all the more vital for facilitating the necessary adjustments while maintaining and enhancing the capabilities of our staff and facilities. LDRD has, since its inception, been an invaluable resource for positioning the Laboratory more » to anticipate, and thus be prepared to contribute to, the future science and technology needs of DOE and the nation. New and enhanced capabilities, many of which relied on LDRD in their early stages, now help the laboratory pursue its evolving strategic goals. Two of these facilities, the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials, are now vital contributors to today's LDRD Program. LDRD has historically seeded important programs and facilities at the lab. The award of at least two of the EFRCs can be directly linked to early LDRD-funded efforts. DOE selected Argonne as the site for two new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) - the Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations and the Center for Electrical Energy Storage - and funded two other EFRCs to which Argonne is a major partner. Argonne scientists are investigating many different sources of energy, including nuclear, solar, and biofuels, as well as ways to store, use, and transmit energy more safely, cleanly, and efficiently. Fiscal year 2009 saw a heightened focus by DOE and the nation on the need to develop new sources of energy.
I am pleased to submit Argonne National Laboratory's Annual Report on its Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) activities for fiscal year 2009.