Dr. R. Adam Kinney
Senior Technical Advisor
Office of Basic Energy Sciences
SC-BES/Germantown Building
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20585-1290
Email: Adam.Kinney@science.doe.gov
Phone: (202) 306-9909
Dr. R. Adam Kinney is a Senior Technical Advisor in the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. In this capacity, Adam provides expert advice, analysis, guidance, and recommendations on science, technology, and policy to the leadership of the Basic Energy Sciences program and the Office of Science. Among other responsibilities, Adam provides leadership on the development of the annual budget and strategic planning for the program, represents BES on interagency and cross-Departmental committees, and serves as the Portfolio Manager for the BES Small Business Innovation Research/Small-business Technology Transfer Research (SBIR/STTR) Program.
Adam has held a wide range of roles during his nearly 10-year tenure in the Office of Science, including Acting Director of the former Office of Strategic Planning and Interagency Coordination, Acting Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Office of Science, and Science and Technology Advisor to four Directors or Acting Directors. Adam first joined the Office of Science as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow (from 2014 to 2016) in the Director’s Office. During this time, he was responsible for leading development of the Office of Science’s contribution to the 2015 Quadrennial Technology Review, a Department of Energy report exploring opportunities for energy technology research and development, and supporting STEM education interagency activities.
From 2017 to 2019, Adam served as a technical coordinator at the National Coordination Office (NCO) for the Networking and Information Technology Research & Development (NITRD) Program. Adam provided strategic guidance and technical expertise to the NTIRD program and the NCO leadership team in the areas of cyber-enabled networked physical systems and software productivity, sustainability, and quality. Adam facilitated coordination and collaboration on R&D among Federal agencies through management of three interagency working groups.
From 2011 to 2014, Adam was a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, applying magnetic resonance techniques to the study of transition metal oxide solar fuels catalysts. Adam received his Ph.D. in physical inorganic chemistry from Northwestern University in 2011, and a B.A. in chemistry from Bowdoin College in 2005.
Adam lives in Arlington, VA with his wife, two daughters, a hamster, and two hermit crabs.
