“Nuclear Science in DOE: Assessment and Promise”

Last week the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee released a 38-page report entitled “Nuclear Science in DOE: Assessment and Promise.” The report concludes that the FY 1995 budget request for nuclear physics “places at risk both the orderly and cost-effective progression of science and the nation’s leadership position in nuclear physics.”

The report is in response to a request by Martha Krebs, DOE, and William Harris, NSF, to the committee and its chairman Ernest Moniz “to prepare a report providing scientific guidance to help plan future Nuclear Physics programs. The present program status should be assessed against the scientific priorities contained with existing recommendations.” The last report was in 1992.

The committee determined that DOE nuclear physics program funding was “relatively stable and predictable” through FY 1993. It characterized the FY 1995 request of $301 million (down 14% from $349 million for FY 1994) as “a major break in the continuous and successful partnership between the agencies and the research community.” For FY 1995, the committee recommends a budget of $353 million; for FY 1996, $348 million is recommended. In each of these budgets, approximately 60% is for Research and Operations and 40% for New Facilities Construction and Operations.

The “severe consequences” of the FY 1995 budget request are listed, including a 10% loss in overall scientific staff (including students.) High priority research at the Continuous Electron Beam Facility would not be started. The Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility would be phased out prematurely. Completion of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider would be delayed. MIT-Bates Laboratory operations would be curtailed. Other facilities would be similarly impacted. In setting program priorities, the committee precludes any other new facility initiatives. It “places highest priority on carrying out the research program, using new and existing DOE facilities. This includes sustaining strong university programs (both DOE- and NSF-supported), the effective utilization of operating facilities and of CEBAF by providing the necessary beam hours for research...and sustaining the necessary scientific manpower and student training.” They continue, “High priority is attached to timely realization of new opportunities through ongoing facility construction and new equipment development. Most important, increased funding of RHIC construction more closely reflects the original project plan, thereby reducing total construction costs. This will ensure effective exploration of the new scientific frontier opened to study at RHIC. Adequate support for innovative equipment projects at universities and new facilities are needed to increase the scientific return on our investments.”

In two recent developments, the House-passed Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill provides $334.74 million for the nuclear physics program (see FYI #75), which is the same amount recommended by the Senate Appropriations Committee (see future FYI.)