Director’s Comments on the BNL Strategic Plan

1. Director’s Comments on the BNL Strategic Plan RHIC/AGS Users Meeting May 29, 2008 Steve Vigdor, filling in for Sam Aronson

2. Strategic Planning • Office of Science Labs were asked in early March to prepare a Laboratory Plan for the next 10 years and present it to Ray Orbach, Pat Dehmer, George Malosh and the Associate Directors in early May • Identify current “Business Lines,” future “Major Activities” and the infrastructure required to support them  30 page Plan submitted April 18 • We presented to them April 28 in Washington • So-called “Reverse Site Visit” • Overtook our plans to revisit our strategic plan at retreats this Summer • Great preparation for the retreats! Management Council

3. Strategic Planning http://intranet.bnl.gov/planning/docs/BNL_Lab_Plan_FINAL.pdf Management Council

4. Construction funding to start in FY09. Anticipated completion by FY2014. BES does not replace ONP as BNL “landlord”  RHIC health critical to NSLS-II

5. RHIC-II science to be achieved via stochastic cooling without “official” RHIC-II project, by ~2012. eRHIC awaits endorsement of science program by next NP LRP  even optimistic timeline puts commissioning beyond 2020. Staging options under consideration.

6. RHIC-II science by-passing RHIC-II project Opportunity for up-grade or 1st EIC stage LHC HI starts EIC = Electron-Ion Collider; eRHIC = BNL realization by adding e beam to RHIC Luminosity upgrade: Further luminosity upgrades (pp, low-E) RHIC, RHIC-II, LHC-HI and EIC science share a common theme…

8. ATLAS ready to take collision data @ LHC. Daya Bay project launched (CD-3b June 10-11). Long baseline  oscillations important part of future for facilities at FNAL, DUSEL, but BNL gives intellectual leadership. New particle astro-physics/cosmology group @ BNL started. Consistency with P5 Report for HEPAP crucial !

9. Maintaining a Complementary Forefront Program in Physics of the Universe, Around the Planet Long baseline  probes CPV, matter-antimatter asymmetry  Collider R&D  next genera-tion energy frontier option LSST to constrain nature of dark energy Daya Bay reactor  exp’t  best sensitivity to 13 mixing angle ATLAS @ LHC searches for supersymmetric partners as possible dark matter candidates

10. Strategic Planning – SC reaction • First of 10 presentations – they liked it • Good support from • George Malosh on our SLI plans • ADs on our Major Activities • Critique • Underestimated the risks in the Energy Strategy • Others were slight • Opportunities • ASCR – initiative on management of large data sets • NP – medical isotope production Management Council

11. SV: Challenges and Issues • Realizing this ambitious vision for BNL requires physical science budgets consistent with America COMPETES Act. • Critical to deliver a coherent, compelling message to the new Congress and Administration regarding the long-term economic benefit of investments in science research & training, and of the importance of a long-term view even in times of short-term economic crisis. • Responsible planning for the future of BNL, and of NPP in particular, requires more responsible federal budgeting processes, avoiding year-to-year breath-holding. • RHIC/eRHIC and NSLS-II do not compete with one another, but are rather mutually supportive and both essential to the continued health of BNL. • Physics of the Universe program relies on productive cooperation between DOE and NSF, reaping benefits of leveraging of DOE contributions to DUSEL exp’ts and LSST. • Chances of getting an Electron-Ion Collider built will be significantly enhanced if competition between BNL and JLab is successfully transformed to productive cooperation. International partnerships should also be encouraged, but are challenging in light of recent U.S. performance in meeting international commitments.