[Eicatjlab_all_personnel] [EXTERNAL] EIC Project Update

[Yeck, Jim]

Dear EIC Project Team Members,

I will highlight some recent developments.

The FY2025 budget is a work in progress.  As a reference, recall that EIC funding in FY2024 is $98M and the EIC request in FY2025 was $150M.  The President's Budget Request for FY2025 was $113M, the House Mark $128, and the Senate Mark $138M.  Stay tuned, but I am encouraged by the support we have from DOE and in the U.S. Congress.

We will need to ensure our plans for ramping up staffing are aligned with the actual FY2025 funding and forecasts for funding in future years.  In addition, the scope of CD-3B, Long Lead Procurement, may need to be adjusted in favor of support for the effort needed to secure CD-2 at the end of 2025.  Our more general planning efforts are focusing on the phased delivery of the EIC project scope.  These plans are maturing with the goal of starting electron-ion collisions and an early science program at the conclusion of the first phase, and subsequently completing the full scope required to fulfill the DOE approved EIC mission need in the second phase.  CD-2 for the first phase is a reasonable goal for the end of 2025, the same timeframe when RHIC operations concludes.

We are losing a key member of our team.  Jim Fast, EIC Associate Project Manager, will be leaving JLab and his EIC role in January.   Jim's experience and commitment to moving the EIC project forward continues to be extremely valuable.  I want to personally thank him for this.  I note that JLab has already started a search for Jim's replacement as his role is central to the success of the BNL - JLab partnership on EIC.

This is not a recent development but a reminder, the Director's Review of the EIC Project is scheduled for October 22-24, 2024, at BNL.  The co-chairs for the review are Mark Reichanadter, SLAC-retired, and Patricia McBride, FNAL/CMS Spokesperson.  We are asking the committee of 30+ members to assess our progress including our readiness for CD-3B Long-Lead Procurement in March 2025 and our plans for preparing the project baseline.  The charge for the review is on the SharePoint prep site<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brookhavenlab.sharepoint.com_sites_eRHIC_Prep-5FCD-2D3B&d=DwIFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=d0KG5O9luo0FhuYP-_C2VbpBNln9iudksZOBnX13nypLFx5Y3VKB85tQJ8VLc-jR&m=YYOmAEFr1qABmh7UHxJYpWKYCPMQrpfBeALa5_AmCJNU616ZbU7HfThznTuUaEJ2&s=_GjegNNnxEhjkcLAAmFreb8YSKpShqlVt4WOaSbWmAM&e= >.

Thank you,
Jim


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