Berkeley Lab embarks on its research quest as part of a network of national laboratories predominantly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Lab was founded on the University of California at Berkeley campus in 1931 and moved to its present site in the hills above the campus in 1940. Today, the Lab is a multiprogram scientific facility operated by the University of California system for DOE.  Charles V. Shank is the director of the Laboratory.

The Laboratory, which stresses collaboration in everything we do, includes 15 divisions that are organized within the areas of Computing Sciences, Energy Sciences, Biosciences, General Sciences, and Resources and Operations.  Many research projects are staffed and supported by multiple divisions, with computational and engineering integrated across the biosciences, general sciences and energy sciences.