A Message from the Chief Financial Officer
Berkeley Lab achieved another successful financial year, securing a total of $1.36 billion in new prime contract funding. Although this represents a slight decrease from FY24 funding, it is primarily attributed to the phased funding cycle of major projects, including the completion of the lab’s new Biological and Environmental Program Integration Center (BioEpic) this year. The Department of Energy continued to recognize the lab with high marks for overall financial management in support of the Lab’s commitment to team science with the goal of delivering “Science Solutions for the World.”
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) provides the essential financial and procurement services, guidance, and strategic support that enables and sustains the Lab’s mission. Our FY2025 achievements reflect our continued commitment to excellence in financial management, operational efficiency, and investment in our people.
Key accomplishments include
- Strong Financial Stewardship and Compliance: We successfully helped to guide the Lab through a change in Administration, quickly adapting to new Executive Orders and evolving priorities. Our commitment to sound financial practices and compliance was validated through the completion of the FY2021 Incurred Cost Audit and a highly favorable Procurement Evaluation and Re-engineering Team (PERT) review. The PERT review found no major issues and commended several of our practices, resulting in the approval of our purchasing system for an additional five years.
- Smarter Operations and Modern Tools: We advanced several initiatives to improve efficiency and enhance service delivery. We used the transition to a new banking partner as an opportunity to reduce reliance on physical checks, streamlining financial operations, and reducing fraud risk. In addition, we also piloted new financial dashboards and updated Cognos, which will provide the Lab clearer, more timely data and improved insights to support strategic decision-making in the coming years.
- Investing in Growth and Our Team: We continued to foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the OCFO. This included launching an AI Community of Practice to explore future efficiencies, offering hands-on professional development opportunities such as Six Sigma training, service design training, and piloting an assurance cohort within the OCFO.
We remain committed to supporting the Lab’s mission through excellence in stewardship and service, and we look forward to delivering greater value through our One OCFO strategic initiatives in the coming year.
Lori Zscherpel
Chief Financial Officer
