ScienceCinema

Stored: ScienceCinema

ScienceCinema
Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Top Organization	Department of Energy
Creation Legislation	Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977
Website	Website
Purpose	DOE ScienceCinema provides a video search tool for DOE research, using audio indexing to make science accessible to all.
Program Start	February 8, 2011
Initial Funding	Not publicly specified; part of OSTI budget
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

DOE ScienceCinema (ScienceCinema) is a multimedia search tool developed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) within the Department of Energy, launched to enhance access to scientific videos from DOE-funded research.

DOE ScienceCinema serves as a multimedia search tool to provide access to scientific videos produced by Department of Energy research facilities, enhancing the dissemination of federally funded research, while leveraging advanced audio indexing technology from IBM Watson to enable precise searching within video content, making complex scientific information more accessible to researchers and the public.

A notable feature is its use of speech-recognition technology to index over 3,600 videos as of 2025, covering topics from renewable energy to nuclear physics, sourced from DOE national laboratories and CERN.

Official Site

Goals

Enhance accessibility of DOE-funded multimedia scientific content through a searchable database.
Enable precise retrieval of specific video segments using speech-to-text indexing, with metrics like timestamped search results.
Promote public and scientific engagement with DOE research outputs across diverse fields.

Organization

DOE ScienceCinema is managed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), part of the Department of Energy. OSTI oversees content aggregation, technical development, and maintenance, collaborating with DOE national laboratories and CERN for video submissions. Governance is handled internally by OSTI, with funding derived from the DOE’s budget for scientific and technical information programs. The program’s leader is the Director of OSTI, currently Kristin Bingham as of 2025.

History

DOE ScienceCinema originated from OSTI’s mission to disseminate DOE-funded research, building on earlier efforts to catalog scientific outputs. It was officially launched on February 8, 2011, integrating IBM Watson’s speech-recognition technology to index multimedia content, a significant advancement over traditional metadata searches. Key milestones include its inclusion in Science.gov and WorldWideScience.org, expanding its reach globally. The program has evolved by growing its collection and refining search capabilities, with plans to incorporate more videos and enhance API access for developers.

Funding

Initial funding specifics for DOE ScienceCinema are not publicly detailed but were part of OSTI’s budget under the Department of Energy, supported by the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977. Funding began with its 2011 launch and continues through annual DOE appropriations, with no fixed end date. The program’s financing is embedded within OSTI’s broader mission, estimated in the millions annually for all STI programs, though exact figures for ScienceCinema alone are unavailable.

Implementation

DOE ScienceCinema operates by aggregating videos from DOE labs, facilities, and CERN, then processing them with IBM Watson’s Speech-to-Text service for indexing. The rollout was immediate upon launch in 2011, with continuous updates as new content is submitted via OSTI’s E-Link system. It has no defined end date, functioning as an ongoing resource tied to DOE’s research output.

External links

Social media

https://twitter.com/doescienceinfo

References